More tales of woe and vexation reach grough from Vixen Tor, the Devon crag where access has been blocked.

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) reports that two climbers had to leave some of their gear in place after being made to leave the crag at the end of an open day. They were given just five minutes to get down off the rock.

The unnamed pair had paid £10 each to climb during the event, organised by Channel Five TV. They say the landowner Mary Alford and her security men interrupted their climb midway and they heard Mrs Alford discussing with the heavies if it would be possible to pull them down from the route.

The climbers said they had not been made aware that the charity day was to end at 4pm and were upset by the aggressive nature of the security team.

Many local people chose to boycott the Dartmoor event on the principle that the area should have free access and the Ramblers’ Association organised a protest at the perimeter wall. Channel Five had stopped filming the event when the incident happened. The programme will form part of a series on mediation.

The Crown Prosecution Service dropped a case against Mrs Alford and her son Robert for alleged assault on two climbers in September 2005. Charges against chartered surveyor Francis Yeo of criminal damage for cutting the rope of the leading climber were also discontinued.