Illegal off-roading causing criminal damage and nuisance at Coldharbour has increased to such an extent that furious residents have asked the Police to crack down on it.
After a packed village meeting, Wolvens Lane, a Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT), was made an official police Neighbourhood Priority Issue, with its own Crime Number: MV/09/2426. This means that calls to the Police will be dealt with promptly as Surrey Police Control will be aware of their importance.
The Police have wide-ranging powers to deal with offenders on the spot. Recently four illegal motorbikes were seized and put through the crusher and Mole Valley Police Rural Affairs Officer, PC Jo Morris explained that drivers and bike riders needed to understand that to use a BOAT, they had to have exactly the same documents and equipment such as MOT, licence plate, insurance and helmets as they would need to drive down Dorking High Street.
The off-road vehicles, in particular trail bikes, are converging on the track that runs from Leith Hill to Wotton, as the nearby Beggars Lane, Gomshall, has had to be closed by Surrey County Council for safety reasons.
National Trust Warden Mark Richards said: “They have all moved across to Wolvens because Beggar’s Lane is closed. They don’t care about the law. Their motorbikes come in vans and are not registered. They have no ID. They just go freefall in the woods. The 4x4s going off into the Wolvens woods are getting stuck in the bogs and people in Coldharbour are regularly being asked for help in pulling them out.”
Creating mud wallows at the sides of the track, revving over banks and driving into the woods is against the law and drivers can be prosecuted. The Antisocial Use of a Motor Vehicle clause of the Police Reform Act means vehicles can be seized and crushed without having to go through the courts. Driving elsewhere than on a road is an offence under the Road Traffic Act. Illegal users can also be prosecuted for causing criminal damage to trees, banks, habitat and the countryside.
PC Morris is appealing for information about: “I know that a lot of bikes are not displaying number plates, but any descriptive details would be really good!” she said.
“The bikes are normally offloaded from vans, and I desperately need the registrations of these vehicles. I also need to build a pattern of times and days of the week when this is happening. If you are using Wolvens lane and see any vehicles behaving illegally, please report it on 0845 125 2222 quoting the Crime Number: MV/09/2426. In a really serious situation dial 999. No-one should challenge the people involved themselves.”
PC Morris said that a Forestry Commission Warden had been working deep in the woods recently when five unmarked trail bikes flew over the top of his head. Not a number plate in sight. Incidents like that needed instant reporting.
The newly formed Surrey Hills Off Road Working Group is working with landowners and the police to curb abuse of these ancient lanes that cross fabulous tracts of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty including Leith Hill and the North Downs.
It is the minority of illegal users who are most likely to veer off the BOATS into historic woodland creating terrible damage.
Any member of the public who sees 4x4s or trail bikes without number plates or causing damage to the countryside, can call the police on 0845 125 2222.
If anyone is unclear about whether it is ok for any motorized vehicle to use a particular path, they can check its status using Surrey County Council’s interactive map. Go to
www.surreycc.gov.uk.
The working group has just carried out a survey of the BOATS in order to check on the degree of damage being caused and assess priorites. The group can be contacted at the Surrey Hills AONB Office at Warren Farm Barns. Headley Lane, Mickleham. Tel: 01372 220651.