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We went for a pinic on Sunday as the weather was so nice. We came back with all our rubbish and three bags of wood that we found lying around on the floor. Anyone know if this is legal or are we now fugatives in "Broken Britain" I cant find a definative answer anywhere except some discussions on the Magna Carter which has a reference to "common folk" having the right to collect wood from woodland.

Interesting points

Magna Carta, by the way, was a con. It gave common people the rights to do things like collect wood in woodland only if they had permission to do so from the "common" people who really mattered - the landowners. The common people you are thinking of (that's us) were given no rights whatsoever under Magna Carta - no matter which one of the 14 versions you read.

However, have you broken the law? Let's see ... the wood was already bagged, and that implies that someone wanted it. Whether they, in turn, had the right to own it is indeterminable - unless you were on "private" property. If you were, then I think you have to be classed with the Great Train Robbers. If you weren't, then you would have to determine if the wood had been obtained illegally - possibly from elsewhere. If it had, you may be an accessory after the fact. If not, it may still have been given to someone else who had just nipped away to get some transport. That would make it theft, I think.

Aaarghhh!! - it's a funny situation. You need to get rid of the evidence. I'd suggest burning it.

Mike

Now, I read this differently. I understood that the "perp" went equipped with binbags for the purpose and just helped themselves to wood they found lying around "unwanted" on the ground. Is that correct?

If so, and if it were on public land, I can't really see anyone getting bent out of shape about it, but my memories of the UK may be way out of date.

I remember, for example, the days when a chap could take a discreet leak behind a tree without being leapt upon by every flavour of uniformed little Hitler.

Either way, I'd burn the evidence too.

Now, I read that differently too. I thought that you meant that you had been doing your good citizen bit and collecting rubbish from your local area. Included within that rubbish was three bags-full of illegally dumped timber.

Personally, I'd burn the evidence. You don't want to get a neighbour into trouble for fly-tipping.

Zoe

Hmmmm - does this mean that my mother could be done for receiving stolen goods?

We always pick up odds and sods of wood when we go for a walk or do the 2 mile school run (we walk that too, running is not in my nature) we don't cut anything that is growing, just pick up fallen bits we can find.

Its amazing the amount of wood that can be gathered in that way, and as our woodburner is our only source of heating and hot water i'm not going to worry about it!! Needs must.

We did in fact simply fill up our empty picnic bags rather than pick up three already full bags. We will take the repeated advice of burning the evidence! Suppose if some more jumps up into our bags or happens to be obstructing a footpath we'd best burn that too. Just in case, you see!

Oh gosh, you couldn't possibly leave wood obstructing a footpath, what would health and safety say?

Zoe

No two ways about it wood belongs to the owner of the land/trees. The law dates from a time when it was a valuable fuel resource pre gas and electricity. We may be going back to that with the price of energy and the demand for timber as a renewable resource. Local Authority parks and woodlands are a good bet, as nobody takes you to task over bits of wood. My dog normally trots home with a branch in her mouth anyway

Now there's an idea... guide dogs for the blind; foraging dogs for the self-suffientish

I wondered where me sacks of wood went..............

If the wood is not fenced off or there is something to suggest that it is private property, I wouldn't think it is too much of an issue, especially if you carry little quantity of it.

All land belongs to someone, even if it is the council.Who owns the land you took the wood from?

We have issues near here at the rising sun country park near wallsend where people are taking the odd bit of wood, it soon mounts up and they want their wood left to rot.It was mentioned on country file the other week.

There you are! No wood then. We are depriving the bugs of their habitat.

clanpowell, you are more than welcome to collect all the firewood you want from my place, we just heap most of it up and burn it anyway. Transport could be a bit of an issue through.