Off-roaders warned on Sunday

Police have reiterated that the strict ‘essential travel’ only message from the Prime Minister over the past week also covers off-roading for fun!

Three people from Newtown were issued with warnings on Sunday after being caught off-roading on the Kerry Ridgeway. But shockingly it has been revealed that the day before 15 people from Kent had travelled to Rhayader in their modified Land Rovers.

Police are concerned that more may be tempted to head to the hills and the forests.

Targeted patrols were carried out in the Kerry Ridgeway on Sunday following ongoing concerns of people riding off-road vehicles in the forest area.

The trio – aged 47, 37 and 14 – from the same address in Newtown, were spoken to and issued with section 59 warnings for using their vehicles in a manner which causes alarm, annoyance or distress.

Rural Crime Team officer PCSO Gary Gwilt said: “Off-roading involving both bikes and Land Rover type vehicles – is a problem all over Powys, causing damage to footpaths, bridleways and tracks, and green lanes in forestry areas and common land.

“We frequently have members of the public contacting police to report that there are people using forestry blocks in North Powys for off-roading, as it causes a huge annoyance for people living nearby.

“The three warnings issued on Sunday were to local people, however people often travel to the area from North Wales and Merseyside. They have easy access to the land they wish to ride on, and where there are gates in place across the tracks, they simply ride around the side.”

PCSO Gwilt added that the day before the warnings were issued, there were around 15 people who had travelled from Kent to Rhayader in modified Land Rovers.

The Powys Rural Crime Team is now looking to carry out further work with partner agencies to deal with the issue.

“This sort of problem often falls on the police to deal with,” PCSO Gwilt said. “It’s a huge demand on us, and we need agencies to help us protect their areas.

“Joint visits have been carried out in order for us to show the issues we have – for example with entry points, damage to land, fly tipping and evidence of camp fires.

“We can issue warnings to people causing a nuisance by off-roading, but it is by working in partnership that we will make a difference.”