A report released by the Ramblers Association (RA) says it believes serious under investment and neglect of the English footpath network by local authorities is jeopardising the future of walking as a pastime.

The findings of the report show that over 527 million walking trips to the English countryside are made each year, with walkers spending over £6bn. The rural job market benefits as well, with an estimated 185,000 to 254,000 full time jobs being supported by walking.

Walking is a draw for overseas visitors also, with them making over a million visits to the English countryside yearly and boosting the rural economy by £355m.

However, the report says that more than 30 per cent of all paths in England are difficult or impossible to use, due to barbed wire, ploughing and cropping of paths and dangerous or missing stiles, gates and signposts.

It goes on to encourage local authorities to make "an investment of as little as £69.1m – a fraction of the amount spent by walkers – to bring paths up to scratch".

Failure to do so will discourage visitors from visiting a particular path in the future and that a number of such experiences may lead people to avoid the whole area.

The survey was carried out for the RA by Dr Mike Christie at the University of Wales Aberystwyth and independent research consultant, Jon Matthews. Details: www.ramblers.org.uk