THE controversial head of the New Forest National Park Authority quit on Thursday morning.

Under fire chief executive Lindsay Cornish resigned at the annual meeting of the park authority.

It comes after a letter criticising her management style and role at authority hit the headlines earlier this month.

The anonymous 2,000-word document, which accused her of being blinkered and autocratic, had been sent to one of Britain's top civil servant.

It was purported to have been written by some members of staff at the authority.

Opponents had vowed to quiz her over the hard-hitting letter at the meeting in the Forest Lodge Hotel in Lyndhurst on Thursday.

But addressing the meeting Ms Cornish said: "I also believe that the recent perception of me and my role by some sections of the public, ill informed and libellous as some of it is maybe damaging the reputation of the entire authority.

"For these and other personal reasons I will therefore be leaving the authority at the end of the month."

She added: "It had always been my intention to pass the baton over on to a fresh pair of hands once the authority is fully established."

Authority Chairman Clive Chatters praised the work of Ms Cornish over the last four years, added: "It saddens me that some parties have more recently chosen to make personal offensive comments about her. Such nasty behaviour falls outside what I regard as common decency."

During the meeting representatives from New Forest pressure groups, Forest Uprising, the New Forest Dog Owners' Group and One Voice planned to raise the issue of the letter.

The three groups have also spent almost a year fighting the organisations controversial blueprint for the Forest, which includes dog-free car parks, curbs on horse keeping and the possibility of road tolls.

The meeting was the objectors' first opportunity to quiz members about the latest version of the plan and the letter concerning Ms Cornish.

On Wednesday night an authority spokesman said Ms Cornish and Mr Chatters, had been in contact with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to which the letter was sent earlier this month.

She said: "They have assured them that the issues raised in the letter are being looked into and addressed as appropriate."

Mr Chatters has described the allegations against Ms Cornish as defamatory and demanded proof that the letter was written by employees of the authority.

However, the organisation has done a U-turn over the document. Having originally described it as genuine they now say its origins are unknown.