An ownership row has erupted over a pathway, after a private landowner blocked access points with piles of earth and rubble and claimed the path belonged to him.

The pathway, used by dog walkers, families, children and those wishing to gain access to Whitehall Park in Darwen, was blockaded by Austin Molloy, who owns the land close to Brookside Farm on which the old Darwen Quarry is situated.

A Darwen resident, who did not wish to be named, said Mr Molloy had no right to restrict access to the pathway as it belonged to the council.

The resident said: "At the back of the cemetery and up the side of Whitehall Park is a privately owned wood with a disused quarry in it.

"For years kids have been going in there playing and messing about etc, but recently there's been some ongoing work on a track going into the wood from an access road up the side of the cemetery to Blanket Hall Cottages.

"The track has been massively extended and widened by a digger and a load of private property signs have gone up too.

"However some of the rubble from this has been used to block the public footpath running between the wood and the side of Whitehall Park.

"The council were asked if they'd done it and they said no.

"The next thing, a sign appears by the blocked path telling people it's a private road and there's no public access.

"The landowner is saying the path belongs to him and he won't remove the blockage.

"It's not his path though, it's a public pathway and he's got no right to do this.

"People are now unable to walk down the path and if they do, they're forced to climb over that pile of rubble, which is not on."

Mr Molloy, who owns the land on which the Quarry and woods are located, said the pathway is not public, and belongs to him.

He said: "The area in question is mine. It's my pathway.

"There's a kissing gate at the bottom of that path and it leads through the park to another kissing gate.

"I have the maps for this area and it's not a public pathway.

"There's been signs up for years telling people this.

"I recently renewed the signs saying that if someone decides to walk along the paths and then injures themselves they won't be able to claim from my insurance as they were warned not to trespass.

"There's a bridle path that goes through my land and up through the old cemetery, and I haven't a problem with people using this as it's a public right of way, but the path between the two kissing gates is not a public pathway."

However, regeneration boss at Blackburn with Darwen Council, Councillor Phil Riley, refuted Mr Molloy's claims, verifying that the path is protected by law.

He explained Mr Molloy has been instructed to move the rubble immediately, otherwise enforcement proceedings will be taken against him.

He said: "Mr Molloy has been under the misapprehension that this is not a public pathway for some time.

"It's a definitive pathway and is protected by law.

"He is obstructing it, let's be clear about that.

"He's been instructed to remove the mound of earth and if he doesn't then we'll take enforcement proceedings against him."