Campaigners fighting to keep a woodland on the edge of Carlisle open for public use "for generations to come" are celebrating a major victory - but say more work might still need to be done.

A group of residents, all with a love of Hayton Woods, near Brampton, have been battling for years to have a network of footpaths registered as public rights of way.

They've been involved in a dispute with landowner Roxlena Limited for a number of years about access to the site, which is popular with walkers.

The fight came to a head at a meeting of Cumbria County Council's development control and regulation committee, where a decision was due to be made.

The company objected to a motion put forward by Labour county councillor Alan McGuckin proposing that the rights of way be implemented.

The call was backed by 11 members of the committee meaning the motion was approved.

Colin Partington spoke at that meeting and he says he and the rest of the campaigners were "overjoyed" with the decision as the council officer in charge of the case had originally recommended rights of way not be approved.

"Everyone clapped and cheered," he told The Cumberland News .

"It was a wonderful day after many years and so many fights to get the councillors to support us. We were bouncing around.

"We know that this is stage one as there may be other legal challenges.

"But had we lost, the fight and the war was over. Winning this decision, we now have a good chance of winning overall."

Mr Partington said that the public rights of way for more than 30 paths in the woodlands were yet to ratified as any objections would see the case investigated by the planning inspectorate.

"I used to walk in the woods but can't anymore because of arthritis but I've been fighting strongly because I want my grandchildren to be able to walk though those woods like others have.

"They are beautiful," Mr Partington added.

Only four councillors indicated that they were in favour of the recommendations put forward by the authority's mapping officer Andy Sims to not allow the rights of way to be implemented.

Objections were also made by local resident Boyd Holmes, who has previously said that registering the paths as rights of way would "be an abuse of the landowner’s right to property and right to enjoy its own property".

Mr Partington's wife Joan also spoke at the meeting in favour of the rights of way alongside Helen Horne, whose late husband Roger submitted the first application in 2011, and woods user Peter Jenkinson.