Walkers say they are being denied access to parts of Ilkley Moor by shooting parties.

The Friends of Ilkley Moor (FOIM) say they have received “credible” reports of confrontations during the grouse season, from August to December.

But the head of the Bingley Moor Partnership, which owns shooting rights on Rombalds Moor, said there had been no recent conflicts.

In its latest newsletter, FOIM chairman Owen Wells said that the rights of walkers always transcended those of the shoot.

“We have first-hand information that one of our members was told that they could not proceed on a path because a shoot was in progress,” he said.

“There is no excuse for this. Walkers have priority on Ilkley Moor, and have every right to continue their walk regardless of any inconvenience that may be caused to the shoot.”

He said shooting parties should put out warning signs and suggested that volunteers from FOIM could accompany them as independent marshals.

“We do think that on the day of a shoot signs are a way of diffusing possible conflicts so that walkers will know to go in a different direction,” he said.

FOIM has issued two papers on good practice for walkers and shooting. But if a walker declines to turn back, marshals must instruct the guns to stop firing.

The Bingley Moor Partner-ship won the contract to run grouse shoots on the moor in 2008, but must provide moorland management support to Bradford Council as part of the deal, including the services of a gamekeeper.

Member Edward Bromet said only a few days’ shooting a year took place on Ilkley Moor and that the incident in question had been resolved amicably. “It was a perfectly amiable conversation and the walker very happily waited until the shoot had taken place,” he said.

“We brief our employees very carefully about the rights of walkers and it all works very well indeed.”

He said signs would only serve to encourage militant animal rights campaigners but they were happy to continue talks about having independent marshals.