Legitimate users: Mountain bikers in Dalby Forest

THE damage inflicted on parts of the Yorkshire Dales by off-roaders has become abundantly clear in recent years and now irresponsible quad bikers are causing problems for land managers at another North Yorkshire beauty spot.

Illegal quad bikers are being warned to mend their ways or face prosecution following a spate of recent incidents in Dalby Forest, near Pickering.

The Forestry Commission is the government body responsible for the 8, 600 acre wood and bosses at the site say that illegal quad bikers have taken to sections of a newly constructed series of mountain bike trails, being built as part of a £400,000 network, scheduled to open in May.

In their wake the Commission says they have left hundreds of pounds of damage, churning up newly surfaced single track trail and requiring construction teams to undertake repairs.

Although the project is still on schedule, quad bikers are not only making the task more difficult, but they are also posing a danger to other forest users. District Manager, Alan Eves said: "Our priority is the safety of the public and all unauthorised vehicles, including quad bikes, are strictly banned in the forest.

We have altered our warning signs to ensure that quads are included in this general prohibition. We have also informed the police and stepped up our patrols in Dalby. Anyone found flouting these commonsense rules will be prosecuted."