OFF-ROAD bikers could be getting a dedicated riding spot in the Holme Valley the Express & Chronicle can reveal.
Chairman of the Holme Valley North Area Committee, Clr Royston Rogers, said he was working on the project in a bid to put a stop to the spate of complaints about and accidents involving illegally ridden motocross, quad and mini-moto bikes.
He said: “We’re trying to find a place for these off-road bikers to go.
“Rather than just say to the kids don’t do this, don’t do that, we want to try and give them somewhere to ride.
“Kirklees police commander Chief Supt Barry South is interested in helping out and there’s an awful lot of people out there who are interested in doing this and helping the kids.
“This is what we need to be doing more of as a council.”
Clr Rogers said he hoped the area would be open to mountain bikers as well, and could be open as soon as September but he could not give any clues as to where in the valley it would be.
In June a Holmfirth teenager badly injured his hand after crashing an illegally ridden quadbike into a wall in Holmfirth and in May a 15-year-old suffered a broken leg when his micro-bike ran under a taxi in Fartown.
West Yorkshire police are currently operating a clamp down on unlicensed and illegally ridden motorbikes.
Valleys Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) leader, Insp Mark Trueman (pictured), said: “As the hot weather and lighter evenings are upon us, so are the off-road motorcycles.
“If you own one of these cycles, please do not attempt to ride it where you are not allowed, as my NPT teams in the valleys along with the road policing section will ensure your cycle is removed and destroyed.
“If you are a local resident and are getting just a bit fed up with the off-road motorcycles, please let any of my team know who is using them and where they are storing them.
“Your information will be acted upon,” he added.
