'Hostile water bikers could seriously hurt someone'

A 16-year-old kayaker has warned "hostile" water bike users they could seriously hurt someone after he was targeted while on holiday in Wales.

James Paterson was paddling off the beach at Criccieth in Gwynedd with his uncle, John Cowtan, when "aggressive" bikers flooded their kayak with spray.

"It was scary - we only just managed to stay afloat," said James. "Someone could get seriously hurt - or worse."

Police and RNLI lifeboat crew spoke to the bikers after stopping them.

Videos of the water bikes circling the kayak and knocking a paddleboarder off his board on Monday were circulated online.

Those affected said the riders seemed to be deliberately targeting people enjoying water sports.

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"They were menacing, they knocked paddleboaders off their board before attacking us," said amateur kayaker and student James.

"The ordeal lasted for a couple of minutes but it seemed like hours. We luckily stayed afloat but only just.

James Paterson visited his uncle John over the Bank Holiday and enjoyed kayaking off the Welsh coast

"My uncle's five-year-old daughter was watching from the beach and she was frantic seeing her dad being attacked in this way.

"My aunty is heavily pregnant and to put her through that stress and torment is horrible."

James and his family, who have travelled from Market Bosworth in Leicestershire, were staying with his uncle's family on the Llyn Peninsula for the Bank Holiday weekend.

But their day out of the beach was overshadowed just as they were going fishing.

James Paterson and his uncle John in their kayak off the Welsh coast

"We've been kayaking a few times and we were still in the beach's safe zone within the buoys," he added.

"But these boys on water bikes were speeding around, they were very hostile and dangerously near swimmers."

James's uncle John added: "They had rage in their eyes - they were determined to capsize us."

James said onlookers on the shore were shouting at the water bikers and after the "ordeal", the pair stopped short their fishing trip because of the "trauma".

"It was outrageous," said Barry Davies, maritime officer at Gwynedd council.

"It is totally unreasonable, very dangerous and not something we would tolerate on the coast of Gwynedd."

HM Coastguard confirmed they had received several calls reporting potential risk to people from the bikers in the water at Black Rock Sands on Monday.