DULVERTON residents have seen red over barbed comments penned by a national newspaper columnist who has set up home in the area.

Daily Mail writer Liz Jones, a former editor of fashion magazine Marie Claire, has been sharing details of her move from London with her readers.

But some of her observations — such as "to be in possession of your own teeth (on Exmoor) is a bonus" — have incensed the local population.

Her criticisms have prompted a robust response from another national newspaperwoman who lives in the town, the Daily Telegraph's Jane Alexander.

In her article 'Why Liz Jones Is Wrong About Exmoor', Ms Alexander advises her new nuisance neighbour to stop the sniping and get more involved in rural life.

Local eateries have also been on the receiving end from Ms Jones, who complained that they were "stuck in the Seventies, with only things in baskets and rum babas on the menu". As there is a multi- award-winning restaurant, Woods, in the town, locals have been confused about the reference to 'rum babas' — a small yeast cake saturated in rum and filled with cream.

As well as comments on the toothless locals and the backward food, the vegan Daily Mail columnist regularly criticises hunting and farming.

Ms Alexander said her Fleet Street rival was missing out on "a warm country welcome, great food" and "good company" by refusing to embrace the rural way of life.

Ms Alexander explained she chose to set the record straight in her article after hearing how much frustration, anger and hurt had been caused by Ms Jones's comments.

She said: "I really wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt and every week I sincerely hoped she might cut Exmoor a little slack. But sadly not.

"The final straw was when I was talking to some visitors in the pub and they said, quite unprompted, that they had nearly not come because of the picture Liz Jones had painted."

Ms Alexander went on to say that, although everyone was entitled to their opinion, Ms Jones should take into account the damage she was capable of causing to the local tourism industry.

And she said she had received an avalanche of emails thanking her for the article, many from people facing similar problems in other areas.

She said: "We really need our tourists in Dulverton, on the moor and the South West in general. I really do feel the countryside is under attack, not just here in the South West but right over Britain. I have had emails from people all around the country saying that. In the end though, it's not just about Liz Jones, it's about the way that the countryside is misunderstood and wrongly depicted in the broader sense."

Despite numerous attempts, the Gazette was unable to make contact with Liz Jones.