Government officials have been forced to step in after a farmer in East Meon illegally destroyed downland that had been earmarked for public access.

Farming company J and K Walther, of Stonilands Farm, could now face prosecution after ploughing land at Tegdown and Long Down without the required permission.

The Department of Food and Rural Affairs confirmed that the action was illegal and that the landowner could now face prosecution and be forced to restore the site.

But ramblers in Hampshire are furious at what they see as an attempt to stop the land being opened up to the public.

Dr Owen Plunkett, a spokesman for the Ramblers Association, said: ÒWe were shocked to hear this news.Ó

The Countryside Agency are currently identifing Òopen countryÓ that will include moors, heath and down, with the aim of opening this land up to the public, but ploughed land will not be included.

Dr Plunkett added that DEFRA must act firmly to prevent further acts of this type.

A DEFRA spokesman said they had spoken to the landowner within 24 hours of the action and a stop notice had been issued.

ÒIn reacting quickly we prevented further land being lost,Ó he said.

DEFRA will now make an environmental assessment and restoring the land is an option.

But district councillor Philippa Tyrwhitt-Drake said that action of this type could increase.

ÒThis is indicative of what may happen all over the countryside by farmers who are worried by this ÒRight to AccessÓ legislation,Ó she said.

Hampshire County Council also confirmed that they had identified action of sort becoming problematic.

A spokeswoman said that planners had identified the issue when the Countryside Rights of Way legislation came into effect.

But DEFRA are adamant that this will not be the case.

ÒThe CROW legislation has nothing in it which affects a landowners discretion to use land for what they want, but balanced against that is the environmental impact assessment,Ó the spokesman said.

ÒBut here there is a conflict of interests which we need to sort out.Ó

But DEFRA also confirmed that landowners were also seeking to reverse the process and redesignate agricultural land.

He said: ÒThis year we have had applications from farmers to revert arable land to grassland which covers 800 hectares within the South Downs environmentally sensitive area.Ó

J and K Walther declined to comment on the issue.