Army vehicles blamed for moor damage

Troops regularly train on Dartmoor

Conservationists claim the all-terrain vehicles used for military training on a Devon moor are causing "appalling damage".

The concerns have been raised following a recent exercise by the Army on Dartmoor involving the use of personnel carriers.

One group, the Dartmoor Preservation Association, has claimed the Army "is out of control" on the moor.

But in response to the claims, the Army said it rarely used a large number of such vehicles and was working with the Dartmoor National Park Authority to look at the issue in more detail.

It's rather unexpected. We have done trials in the past using this vehicle to make sure it does not cause undue damage Lieutenant Colonel Tony Clarke

Dartmoor National Park Authority says it is investigating what it calls "damage by military tracked vehicles" after a number of recent complaints.

The damage is centred around a remote part of the north moor in the area west of Great Kneeset, and close to Lynch Tor.

One walker, Philip Goddard, from Exeter, said he was concerned about the effects on the moor.

He said: "Dartmoor is the only real area of wilderness we have in southern England.

"That is very important and it cannot just be ridden roughshod over."

The army says the tracks were made during an exercise on 10 July involving 500 Royal Marines.

Moor recovery

They used 18 all-terrain personnel carriers across 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) of open moor between Princetown and Okehampton.

The army said it had permission to use the vehicles on the moor, but rarely did so on such a scale.

Lieutenant Colonel Tony Clarke, commander of the Dartmoor training area, said he shared those concerns and the problem was being investigated.

He said: "It's rather unexpected. We have done trials in the past using this vehicle to make it does not cause undue damage to Dartmoor.

"We are working with Defra and the national park to understand why this has happened and in order to understand the recovery rate of the moor."