A plan to situate a 1,200 metre-long zip wire in a popular walking area of the Lake District has been withdrawn.

The owners of Honister Slate Mines had planned to establish the new facility on nearby Fleetwith Pike - close to walking routes onto nearby fells such as Haystacks - and the Lake District National Park Authority had postponed a decision on the controversial scheme.

However, the application has now been dropped, with no explanation being given as yet.

The news was welcomed by those who like to go walking in the area, with pressure group Friends of the Lake District expressing delight at the news.

Planning officer Richard Pearse commented: "Hopefully this will be an end to the matter, but we will continue to monitor the situation, should the applicant decide to resubmit at some point in the future."

Earlier this week, Friends of the Lake District welcomed news there will not be any new nuclear power stations encroaching on the area.

It noted the Department for Energy and Climate Change's statement that the proposed Kirkstanton and Braystones sites would have a negative visual impact on parts of the national park, like the lower Duddon valley.

Posted by Dan Mirza