Company defies court order for 'van Hoogstraten' path to be cleared

A MAGISTRATES order to clear a blocked footpath that crosses the East Sussex estate of millionaire Nicholas van Hoogstraten has been snubbed.

On March 20 Rarebargain Ltd - the company registered as owning the land over which the 140-year-old path runs - was fined a total of £4,000 for the obstructions and was ordered to remove the barbed wire, locked gates and refrigeration units blocking the route by 17 April. A barn was also to be removed within six months. But as of April 20 the obstructions were still in place and the Ramblers' Association is now considering further legal action to get the obstructions removed. We will also be asking East Sussex county council to exercise its existing powers to clear the path.