Madonna Bans Hikers Near English Mansion

Madonna has successfully put her foot down to prevent walkers from using land near her country mansion.

The Countryside Agency said Tuesday that it had abandoned plans to create a footpath just 100 yards from Ashcombe House in Wiltshire, southern England.

Madonna and her film director husband, Guy Ritchie, wrote to Prime Minister Tony Blair, expressing concern that the planned walkway would encourage curious sightseers and paparazzi.

The Countryside Agency said Madonna was among hundreds of residents who filled out a comment sheet about proposed changes under a redrawing of maps for the area.

The agency insisted that Madonna’s complaint wasn’t given extra weight because of her celebrity.

It’s not the first time Madonna has fought to protect the privacy of her $14.5 million home. She previously complained about low-flying aircraft and was ordered to dismantle 12-foot-high security gates after failing to apply for planning permission.