On the Downs, one landowner is overzealous about monitoring and controlling the precise trajectory of walkers and runners.

My running companion and I were literally 'druv' off the land by a Land Rover, which forced us to change direction. Why? Because we were a few feet off the slippery chalk footpath, preferring to run alongside it, on the grassy field. By so doing, what conceivable harm were we causing to anyone or anything?

We'll never know, as the driver made no attempt to explain.

Having spoken to friends, it seems that falling foul of 'marshalling' while walking or running in this area is a common experience.

It's sad that our freedom to roam this beautiful section of downland (soon to be National Park) is being so needlessly and truculently restricted.

Is it naively unrealistic to dream of a day when landowners will have a more sharing spirit and broad-minded attitude to recreational land-users?

Sadly, their possessive mindset is perhaps just too old and ingrained to ever fade away.

David Bradford, Lewes