William Bunting (eco-warrior)

Due to this he suffered pain and illness for the rest of his life, and this was possibly one of the reasons why he was described as "irascible, foul-mouthed and middle-aged",[5] and a "crochety eccentric".

[5] As part of this process of legal challenge he regularly walked the traditional footpaths there, breaking through or removing barriers and confronting the landowners on their own land.

[5] He is said, by Catherine Caufield,[3][5] to have carried weaponry, including a revolver, swordstick, machete, wire-cutters and his own calling cards to be defiantly left after removing footpath-barriers.

In his role of protector of the Moors and assisted by Peter Skidmore,[7] Bunting wrote strongly-worded letters and reports to the Trust, and pressured its leaders to view the situation on site.

"[3]William Bunting, with his own history of aggressive protection and his group of eco-warriors, is credited, by Catherine Caufield,[3] with saving Thorne Moors from destruction as a natural habitat.

In 1972, Bunting's Beavers was formed in response to Fisons' near destruction in 1971 of the rich heart of the Moors by the excavation of deep drains for peat extraction.

Matters came to a head when in October 1972 Fisons blew up eighteen dams following a BBC Television programme about the Beavers' eco-warrior activity in protection of the Moors.