Cornwall's coast path became overgrown

Wet weather earlier in the year has added to the problems.

Now the county council in Wiltshire has sent out letters to parish councils in the county, asking them to take on minor work.

But with most refusing to help, the county council is warning that some rights of way are unlikely to be maintained this year.

In Cornwall, the South West Coastal Path is crucial to the tourist industry.

The path is the longest waymarked trail in Britain, stretching round the coast from Poole in Dorset to Minehead in Somerset.

Council workmen have finished clearing overgrown vegetation from the Cornish sections, after working right through the summer.

Some sections had become nearly impassable when maintenence was halted during the foot-and-mouth crisis.