Riders are demanding to know why nothing has been done to make a bridleway safe a year after a horse died following a fall.

Cindy, a 28-year-old mare, lost her footing on a steep, narrow bridle-path leading up to the Downs near Fulking and fell into a gully.

Firefighters spent three hours rescuing Cindy who suffered severe brain damage as a result of the fall. Despite their efforts she had to be put down a week later.

Since her death in November last year horse riders in the area have campaigned for work to be carried out on the bridleway after years of erosion had left it in a dangerous condition.

Although rangers agreed work on the path was a top priority the improvements have still not been carried out.

Sussex Downs Conservation Board blames flooding and the effect of foot-and-mouth disease for the delay.

It says the £5,000 improvement work will now have to be put on hold until April.

Cindy's owner Linda Harris, 52, of Clappers Lane, Fulking, added: "I accept they've had problems with foot-and-mouth but it's getting dangerous again and people are getting impatient. If nothing is done soon there will be another accident."

Another rider Valerie Gardner, 59, of New Church Road, said: "The path has become very narrow and steep and I'm frightened my horse will hurt itself one day. If the money had been put into the bridle-paths years ago they would not be in this state now."

The Sussex Downs Conservation Board, responsible for the upkeep of the bridleway, insisted the work was a top priority but there had been unavoidable delays.

The floods last autumn and the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease put back many projects due to be carried out during the past 12 months.

Although the conditions were suitable to carry out the work during the summer the board was unable to find the contractors to transport 200 tonnes of chalk needed to carry out the improvements.

Andrew Gattiker, ranger for the board's central area, said: "This work is still the top of the list but we haven't been able to resurface a single right-of-way all year.

"We will need to drive 20 lorry loads across the field to get to the bridleway and the ground is too wet again.

"We have now got the contractors to do it and the materials are ordered but we will probably have wait until April for the conditions to improve."