Illegal bikers using rural Wales as 'playground'
- Published
Illegal bikers are being targeted by police and Natural Resources Wales
Illegal off-road bikers using remote Wales as a "playground" are damaging sites of special scientific interest, police say.
Dyfed-Powys Police has increased patrols around Teifi Pools and in the Tywi Forest, Ceredigion.
Fines were issued to people who travelled to these places during lockdown.
Now restrictions have been eased illegal off-roading is on the rise, officers say.
Off-roading can be done legally on green lanes, a network of ancient unsurfaced public roads and rights of way.
The Green Lane Association works with the police to target illegal off-roaders, who it says have a negative effect on the activity.
The organisation's Lauren Eaton said: "Wales is very much an area to go to when it comes to green-laning, it's extremely popular.
"What they're not necessarily interested in is joining organisations, and then rather than asking for advice and help, they try to do it off their own backs without the information to do it legally."
She wants the police to do more.
"We understand that resources are obviously spread thin, and that there are crimes that would take precedence over this type of behaviour, but it has a huge impact on residents and very sensitive land in some cases," she said.
The police are working with Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to tackle the problem.
Off-roading is a cause of major environmental damage, police say
Its forestry area manager, Jim Ralph, said bikes were the cause of "lots" of complaints when they were used "in a dangerous, noisy and antisocial way."
"We regularly receive complaints concerning the antisocial use of off-road motorbikes, and to help reduce harm to individuals and communities, we will continue to work closely with Dyfed-Powys Police," he said.
There are green lanes around Teifi Pools and Tywi Forest - but police are concerned some off-road vehicle owners are driving where they choose.
'Not registered, not insured'
Insp Matthew Howells, of Dyfed-Powys Police said: "There are gangs of 10 to 15 males, they'll come down in their vans full of bikes, and they'll just off-road wherever as if it were a playground for them to play in.
"There's environmental damage in particular, a lot of these areas are SSIs [sites of special scientific interest] which come under NRW, so we work with them to tackle that problem."
"You've got your legal 4x4s and off-road motorbikes, and as long as they're road legal then they can drive on the green lanes.
"But you also have people coming out with the 'pit bikes' - they're smaller motorbikes, they're not registered, they're not insured."
The police have warned local farmers not to approach any groups or individuals who they may come across who are off-roading illegally.
Illegal off-roading: what the police can do
Police have the power to seize vehicles which are used in a way which causes harassment, alarm or distress
A warning is given first but if a vehicle is used in an antisocial manner again, it can be seized under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act
Vehicles can also be seized if the rider or driver is not insured or has no road tax
Riders are advised to contact councils' rights of way officers for information on where they can ride, or join a riders' organisation
Source: Dyfed-Powys Police, external
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