More than 700 'commoners' with ancient grazing rights in a national park are seeking to be recognised by the government as a 'national minority'.
Commoners in Hampshire's New Forest have existed for more than a thousand years and want to be considered a people in their own right - like the Scots, Welsh and Cornish.
They say the proposal to grant them 'national minority status' would give them a stronger voice in local government and help preserve cultural practices vital to the ecosystem of the Forest.
Among the unique traditions associated with the historic group are the roaming of pigs during 'pannage' season, the round up of the area's famous ponies and the point-to-point race on Boxing Day.
The ancient tradition of commoning dates back from before the days when William the Conqueror made the area his private hunting reserve and imposed strict laws on the locals. In return, they were given the rights to graze their animals on the 'common' – the land now known as the New Forest.
