RESIDENTS at a village blighted by illegal off-road bikes have called for action after being left ‘frightened to death’ by speeding bikers.

Ged Watson, of Parma Rise in Darfield, has called for increased police activity in the area as reckless off-road drivers have been treating the estate like a ‘rabbit warren’.

The 60-year-old believes the issues continue to Cortonwood and Wombwell as he fears this stretch is a ‘death trap waiting to happen’.

He told the Chronicle: “There seems to be a very serious problem with off-road motorcycles all over Darfield.

“It’s horrendous, there’s group on bikers who have a blatant disregard for local residents and treat the street like a race track.

“They’re racing through snickets and back alleys, causing a huge disruption to neighbours and destroying the area.

“I’ve reported these incidents many times but there’s only so much you can do.”

Ged, who has lived on Parma Rise for years, has seen first-hand the damage the illegal drivers cause.

“There has been so many near misses that I’ve lost count.

“A couple of months ago I saw a young woman and her son walking down the road and he was frightened to death by these reckless bikers speeding past him.

“It’s frightening and if something is not done it could be even worse.”

Ged is now calling for action to be taken to prevent serious accidents in the future as he believes it’s a matter of time.

“There should be more police activity in these areas or else they’ll continue to risk the lives of others.

“Snape Hill Road in Darfield continues to be an accident waiting to happen.

“Vehicles fly up and down this road with incredibly speed and don’t even check what’s coming the other way.

“I once saw to vehicles race each other up the hill, with one overtaking the other at the top.

“Action needs to be taken to make residents feel safe again. I’m blown away that no one has been killed.

“The area needs speed restrictions put in place, it’s only a matter of time.”

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: “We are aware that off-road bikes cause concern for our local communities.

“We have a dedicated off-road bike team that work hard to pro-actively patrol hotspot areas and tackle the antisocial and illegal use of bikes.( “Our team is stronger with the help of the public.

“To help us identify the problematic areas we need residents to report incidents involving off-road vehicles via 101 or through our website.

“By reporting incidents, officers can understand problematic areas and put plans in place to patrol and take action against riders. ( “You can also get involved by helping officers identify those connected to recent incidents through the online gallery.”

To access South Yorkshire Police’s online gallery, visit the Chronicle website.