HORSE riders are campaigning to be allowed to ride on a village green again.

Alison Lindoe, 55, of Thundersley, has set up a Facebook page and a petition calling on Essex County Council to allow horses to ride on Thundersley Common again.

The petition, addressed to Thundersley’s county councillor Jamie Huntman, has 160 signatures so far.

Keen horse rider Ms Lindoe said that it would be great for everyone if they were able to ride on the common again.

She explained: “I used to ride there years ago until in the Seventies the council put a ban on riding on it.

“They said people could apply for permission to ride there and people did, but no-one ever got permission.”

She added that as the area was getting more and more built up, there were fewer places for horse riders to go.

Ms Lindoe, who rides a friend’s horse several times a week, said: “We don’t want to ride on the roads.

“Motorists don’t like seeing horses on the roads either.

“There are about 185 horses just down Burches Road so where are they supposed to be ridden?”

Ms Lindoe said the horse riders didn’t want somewhere to “gallop around”, but just enjoyed being in the countryside and off the roads.

She added: “It would benefit cyclists too as they can use bridleways. Horses and people have got on side by side for years so I can’t see why it would be a problem on the common.”

To sign the petition, visit change.org/p/jamie-give-us-a-new-bridleway-in-thundersley