THE leader of the Labour Party has backed The Northern Echo’s Save Our Forests campaign as his shadow environment minister visited one of the forests which may be hit by Government proposals.

Ed Miliband and his shadow cabinet were in the region yesterday and Mary Creagh spent the afternoon talking to people in Chopwell Wood, near Gateshead.

The 355-hectare woodland could be sold as part of the Government’s plan to privatise the Forestry Commission – selling forests to private companies or community groups.

Mrs Creagh and Mr Miliband both said they were confident that public pressure would force the Government to backtrack on the proposal.

Mr Milliband said: “I’ll sign up for the Save the Forests campaign.

“I think we will force them to back down because there’s such a public outcry to it and it makes no sense at all.

“It adds to the feeling that the Government understands the price of everything but the value of nothing, and it doesn’t understand the need to preserve the things that really matter to people.”

Mrs Creagh held a question and answer session with Blaydon MP Dave Anderson and representatives from groups including Friends of Chopwell Wood, the Ramblers Association and a local riding group.

She then braved blustery conditions to walk around the forest.

Mrs Creagh, MP for Wakefield, said: “It is clear that this is a well-used and well-loved woodland.

“This is just the start of what I’m sure will be a successful campaign. I will be taking the message from Chopwell Wood down to London that if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.

“How can the Government expect people to buy something they already own?”

Liz Searle, from the Friends of Chopwell Wood, said: “This year the Friends celebrates its 20th anniversary and we don’t want it to be the year we see our demise.

“We have worked with the Forestry Commission for many years and developed an understanding, and without their support, we wouldn’t be able to do most of the things we do.

“The Government talks about the Big Society, but we’re all volunteers and have been doing the Big Society for years.”

Friends of Chopwell Wood will be holding a protest day on Sunday, February 13. The group will meet in the forest car park at 1pm.

Hundreds of readers have already signed up to The Northern Echo’s Save Our Forests campaign, launched earlier this week.

You can sign the campaign pledge online at thenorthernecho.

co.uk/saveourforests