A CRACKDOWN on off-road biking in an area of the Wye Valley which is said to be “causing misery” to residents is being planned.

Monmouthshire county councillors Richard John and Ann Webb have met with senior officers from the authority’s highways department to discuss the problem of off-road motorbikes on tracks and unclassified county roads above Whitebrook and Tintern.

The pair held two site meetings last week to see the damage which has been caused to the tracks, which is said to have made them “unsafe for pedestrians and horse riders”.

Cllr John, leader of Monmouthshire council, said the authority is working with Gwent Police and Natural Resources Wales to clamp down on offenders.

The council has been working with Gwent Police over their Operation Harley, which is aimed at cracking down on illegal biking in the area.

Cllr John: “These bikers are also a real nuisance for local residents and tourists, creating excessive noise, which reverberates around the Wye Valley.

“Many of these bikers seem to travel a long way to use these tracks, but it’s causing misery for so many local residents.

“We’re now going to take advice on what steps the county council can take, working with the police and Natural Resources Wales, to crack down on this and ensure that people can better enjoy the Wye Valley.”

Cllr Webb said residents are “really frustrated” by the ‘nuisance’ the bikes are causing, with noise and damage to popular walking tracks.

“Many tourists come to the Wye Valley to enjoy the beautiful scenery and are left disappointed if their holiday is spoilt by the noise of irresponsible bikers,” she said.

“We will work with officers and other authorities to see how enforcement can be improved and how we can restrict access to these tracks, so local residents and visitors can enjoy all that the Wye Valley has to offer in peace.”

Inspector Nikki Hughes, of Gwent Police’s Monmouthshire neighbourhood policing team, said: “We run zero tolerance operations to respond to illegal off-road biking in our communities, often supporting partner agencies in similar activities to tackle this issue together.

“Illegal off-road biking is never acceptable. This type of activity not only causes massive environmental damage to our beautiful countryside but affects the lives of those who live there.”

Illegal off-road biking can be reported to Gwent Police by calling 101 or by contacting the force on Facebook and Twitter.