A WAR of words between walkers and a development company hoping to build a hotel complex on lakes near Fairford has escalated after a pensioner was searched by police on suspicion of vandalising fences at the site.

Robert Jeans, 63, who lives in Fairford and regularly walks around Lake 104, was stopped by police last Wednesday.

Only the week before 83-year-old Guen Taylor was left shaken after she was told she faced prosecution if she failed to control her dogs.

A protest walkies is now planned by local dog owners for this weekend to highlight their right to use the land.

The storm began when Cygnet Investments lost its planning application to build 200 holiday homes and a 38-bedroom hotel around three lakes at the site in February. It has appealed against the decision.

Now the company is redirecting the footpath around Lake 104 to comply with orders from Gloucestershire County Council.

It says it wants to protect wildlife on the land from dogs and has suffered verbal abuse from dog walkers, who also stand accused of vandalising fences, posts and signs to disrupt work at the site.

Mr Jeans, however, told the Standard this week the company was carrying out a campaign of intimidation and he was worried the path around Lake 104 was being destroyed.

He said: "We'll not be able to touch a blade of grass again if developers continue in this way - they are trying to create a small town and hope we lose our resolve.

"Fairford people are being victimised. They are making everything as unpleasant as possible - it's getting pathetic.

"I don't like to say I was strip-searched but it wasn't far from it. It was unpleasant and they were clearly trying to secure a point."

Resident Quentin Tailford echoed his sentiments.

He said: "If you have seen the damage caused by heavy duty equipment used to dig the so-called footpath, the unsightly poles concreted into the ground, the unnecessary fencing, the destruction of trees and the regular and intimidating patrols in vehicles around the lake, you may question the phrase 'keen to protect the wildlife'."

However, Cygnet Investments boss Mark Savage said the company has not acted illegally and was within its rights to redirect the path.

He said: "The footpath officer has requested that we define the footpaths and get them back to the state they were before they were overgrown.

"We've consulted with everyone we need to consult and we are doing everything by the book. The contractors are just doing their work on our land."

He said people had been using the lakes illegally and he was considering putting up CCTV cameras, while Fairford police were only called last Wednesday because Mr Jeans was allegedly seen acting suspiciously near the fences around the path.

Rights of way officer Mike Barton said GCC was content with the redirecting of the paths to the south and west of Lake 104, although next week he will visit the site to check the progress of work east of the lake which local people are concerned about.