A THREE-year battle over a village green continued yesterday with the re-opening of a public inquiry.

Residents from Rumby Hill, near Crook, were hoping that a decision would be made last month on whether land near their homes would be registered as a village green.

But the scheduled three-day hearing overran and had to be adjourned until yesterday.

Villagers wrote to Durham County Council in October 2001 applying to register the land as a village green after it was fenced off by local farmer Fred Wilson.

The inquiry has already heard residents assert the land had been at the heart of community activities for 20 years up until 2001.

Government Inspector Ruth Stockley has been told by villagers that people have walked their dogs and exercised their horses on the land, which they say has also been used as open space for children to play.

She was also shown photographic evidence.

Villagers also say that they had never seen Mr Wilson farm the land and did not know he had anything to do with it until he fenced it off.

Mr Wilson has filed an objection to the residents' application for the land, but has so far not commented publicly about the case.

He is expected to give evidence at the inquiry, at Wear Valley District Council offices, on Thursday.

Yesterday, Ms Stockley heard evidence from people who backed Mr Wilson's claims, saying they had never seen the land used for public recreation.

Barry Shields, a farmer from Stanley, said that he drove past the land every day, sometimes three or four times a day, and had never seen anyone use it for sports or a resting place while out walking.

He also told the inquiry that he bought hay from Mr Wilson., saying: "I would maybe buy around 1,000 bales a time. It would be stacked up on that piece of land when I came to get it.''

The inquiry has been adjourned until Thursday.