‘POSITIVE’ steps forward have been taken to reclaim a no-go nature reserve ravaged by illegal off-road bikers.
An action day, run jointly by South Yorkshire Police and the West Haigh Wood Custodians - who look after the woodland between the villages of Great Houghton and Grimethorpe - took place last Sunday.
Local intelligence gathered at crime and safety meetings in Grimethorpe revealed that Sunday mornings are a hotspot time for bikes and quads in the wood, which has seen many ramblers ditch the once-popular walking routes due to the menacing off-roaders.
It is the first time police officers have targeted the area as part of their ongoing off-road bike clampdowns, dubbed Operation Lapel, which began in January and the custodians, made up from interested members of the public and organisations including Barnsley Council, Voluntary Action Barnsley and the Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership, are pushing for more volunteers to come forward to secure the site’s long-term future.
Read more in this weeks Barnsley Chronicle
