As far as I can make out - and it seems to get more complicated by the day - red diesel will be phased out for propelling your boat (ie moving it on the cut) but it will still be legal to cook with it on your diesel stove, or for heating etc, as Debs says.

That means in theory a marina would have to have two diesel pumps, but let's face it - they aren't going to bother with all the faff that would cause, so inevitably red diesel for boaters will become hard to find.

However, farmers will still be able to use red diesel.

I suspect the extra money spent by the government/EU in trying to work out who's paying for what will be more than the extra revenue they get from the increased taxes.

Well done, that council.

The downside - oh, there's allus a downside, isn't there? - is that small boys on noisy motorbikes are now using the towpath to race at speeds up to 60mph, according to some visiting boaters from Leicestershire who I was speaking to the other day.

They called the police as they feared an accident was about to happen, either to the boys or other people, but the police said they were too busy to attend.

So what can be done?

You couldn't install sleeping policemen/humps on the path as this would be dangerous for law-abiding users. Gates are cumbersome and cause difficulty for prams and wheelchairs.

My solution would be to put two parallel barriers at a 45 degree angle to the path, which would allow everyone to get through unhindered, but would break up the straight run for motorbikes if you had several of these at intervals along the path. If this isn't clear, I'll do a little sketch of what I mean.

Can anyone see why this wouldn't work, or does anyone have a better idea? I'll put any suggestions to our local councillors.

Can we please be clear we are not talking about motorcycles here!

That bit about lifting motorbikes over barriers shows me that you are talking about those  "minibike" things that have spread like a plague everywhere.  These are just "I Pods" on wheels - the latest craze. One misguided MP's reaction was to sponsor a bill that will require all off road bikes to be registered, which inconveniences people like me, but doesn't solve the problem. Yet another knee- jerk "Dangerous Dogs Act".

The laws to sort these things already exist -they just aren't being enforced everywhere. No fashion lasts for ever and these (Chinese- built) things are designed to last about five minutes. There will be another craze along in a minute! Rant Over.

Sorry Moh

Brain working faster than new Broadband connection toy. These things are still a nuisance, you must get them up there, same as we do here. Allowing kids who want to enjoy the great oiutdoors, rather than fry their brains with mobile phones and Big Brother, is a matter of getting them space and direction, but that's another story.

Belle

Take your point, everything in its place, these parents who allow their offspring to belt down the towpaths and footpaths are the same people who you will see drop their fast food packaging where they feel like it. They have no consideration themselves, and they don't pass it on to their offspring. My car looks like a litterbin inside at the moment, because I was programmed, as a child, not to drop litter in the outside world!

I presume the bit about the race track was a reference to Lewis Hamilton. There is a world of difference between the footpath racers and organised youth motor sport. As I said previously, space and direction. There are plenty of risks in everyday life, many people enjoy taking risks in a controlled way. I sponsor my nephew in youth trials where, in a properly supervised environment, with full insurance, first aid etc, on land away from houses, and with the landowner's consent, he can learn the same skills of machine control and have the same fun as I did.

The trouble is now, such land is at a premium, in this crowded country it is difficult to find available areas where you are not upsetting people. The EU did their bit by stopping farmer's subsidies if they allowed this on their land. Commonsense prevailed, and that edict was stopped. Take away the space and a purpose for youth and they end up on street corners- the devil makes work etc...........