NORTH Yorkshire police will not enforce access by the National Grid Company on to land to build their controversial pylon line, if the land owner does not agree to it.

Supt David Short, the police officer overseeing the Lackenby to Shipton pylon project, explained that legal experts at North Yorkshire County Council had advised that even if National Grid had wayleaves to enter land, if the landowner objected, the firm would have to take the matter to court.

Supt Short, North Yorkshire police's eastern area operations commander, said: "Where there is a dispute in terms of access and the landowner specifically refuses access to National Grid, we would have to advise National Grid to seek redress through the civil courts.

"However, if the landowner says no problem, we have to say to any protestors that we have to recognise the right of the landowner to allow access on his land."

Supt Short added that the police would contact land owners and occupiers up and down the proposed pylon line, where National Grid was seeking access on to land, to find out what each of their particular views were.

"Then we know exactly what the state of play is for those landowners," he said.