A GROUP of about 40 people gathered outside the Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) this morning, to protest the recent ruling against the right to wild camp and encourage the DNPA to appeal the ruling in the high court.

The rally follows last weekend's event on Stall Moor, Cornwood, which attracted over 3,000 people.

Kat Howard, a member of the Dartmoor Wild Camping Action Group and the organiser of the rally, said: 'The other day was a general consensus of how everybody was upset with the ruling. Today is specifically to ask DNPA to appeal the decision. That's why we're here on a weekday. So we have a representative in the meeting, putting forward ideas and proposing how we could help them raise funds and support the appeal. We want to show commitment.

'In the meeting, we hope that DNPA decides to appeal and then hopefully work with us to fund that appeal and get the best case possible moving forward so we can return wild camping to being a right and not a permissive agreement.'

William Parkhouse and Holly Kirkby, from Barnstable, came to show their support. William said: 'We're here to fight for the appeal to consider camping as a recreational activity. I'm from Barnstable, the only time I had growing up to enjoy nature was when I went up to Dartmoor to camp. Without that, I would have had this love for nature that I do.

'I live in Birmingham now, I hate it. The only reason I hate it is because of what Dartmoor instilled in me from a young age. Future generations won't get that if we don't stand up for our rights.'

Holly added: 'Dartmoor is home, not only to wild camping, but also wellbeing activities. People use Dartmoor to develop their knowledge of bushcraft, camping, of the wild. I strongly believe if we don't stand up for natural spaces, if we're pushed out of the remaining 8% of land, we will not only lose our freedoms, I feel that the mental health consequences will be terrible.

We stand here today because we ask DPNA to appeal their decision. If one thing is taken away, then I fear there'll be a domino effect and more will go. So it has to stop, this decision is utterly wrong, it's greedy and I think people should be more focussed on benevolence than on personal gain.'