IN spite of threats that council officials would remove it last week, the controversial gate in Cow and Hare Passage, St Ives, remains firmly in place. Ever since a Government planning inspector declared the passage a public right of way in April, it has

IN spite of threats that council officials would remove it last week, the controversial gate in Cow and Hare Passage, St Ives, remains firmly in place.

Ever since a Government planning inspector declared the passage a public right of way in April, it has been unlawful for residents, who installed the gate to protect themselves against weekend vandalism and anti-social behaviour, to lock it.

If they continued to deny public access, it would be forcibly removed by the end of July, the highway authority, Cambridgeshire County Council, told them.

But, so long as the residents do not actually lock the structure, the right of way is not impeded and there is no need to remove it, the council said this week.

A spokesman stressed, however, that re-locking would trigger the gate's removal in short order.