Borth residents are calling for a path accessing the village’s railway station to be reopened, warning that passengers are taking dangerous risks to avoid missing their train.

Network Rail fenced off the path that many passengers use to access the station from the south and save themselves a detour of around 500 yards.

The path has been in use for decades and the closure has led Borth Community Council chair Rona Dalton to start a petition which has already been signed by 100 people.

Cllr Dalton said the closure of the path had been met with dismay by local residents saying it had “caused a lot of bad feelings”.

Plants and trees that had been growing by the fence have also been cut, with one tree stump said to have been “poisoned” to stop it growing back.

Cllr Dalton said that the path had been used for at least 30 years and possibly longer and said: “It’s been used for years so why can’t we make it a footpath.

“Nobody expected it to get blocked up. It was such a well-used path.”

The path has been used by residents to access the church and Borth community gardens, with people now having to take a lengthier route.

A spokesperson for Network Rail said that the decision to put up the new fence was being reviewed, but said the path was never a public right of way.

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