Hundreds of people turned up for the meeting called by Mark Harper MP last Friday, February 4th, at The Main Place in Coleford.

Harper organised the meeting to discuss the government's consultation document regarding forests. However only 150 people were allowed into the hall. An eyewitness told the Gazette that the meeting was very noisy to begin with, as people who had turned up at 6.30pm were not allowed in, but once the meeting started they behaved and a wide range of questions were put to the MP.

After the meeting Harper said:?"The only disappointment for me is that a small number of people outside the event were determined to have a violent confrontation at the end as I left the building."