Bird's eye view of biking damage

Bike tracks have eroded the plant cover, exposing peat layers

The chief constable of North Wales Police has vowed to tackle illegal off-roader bikers who are damaging sensitive habitat on Gwynedd hills.

Richard Brunstrom said the damage was "extensive" in sensitive areas.

He viewed the site after he was contacted by the Snowdonia National Park and Countryside Council for Wales.

The Countryside Council for Wales said they were working with the Welsh Assembly Government to tackle the problem.

Mr Brunstrom flew over hills above the quarries at Blaenau Ffestiniog to get an overview of the site.

Writing on his online blog Mr Brunstrom said: "The upland vegetation is very fragile; when the plant cover is broken the underlying peat erodes very quickly and the damage can take decades to repair due to the slow growth at altitudes.

'On the case'

"Ecologically and visually the impact is severe - this is no trivial matter," he added.

Mr Brunstrom added that he had been walking in the hills and had seen the situation close-up.

He said there were wheel ruts a metre deep in places, but that the size of the problem was hard to comprehend from ground level.

"From the air the picture is very different - you can see in just a few minutes how far the damage extends and how bad it is," he said.

"Something will have to be done. We're on the case," he added.

The Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) said off-road biking was causing problems across many parts of Wales both rural and urban.

A spokeswoman added projects were being developed under a Welsh Assembly Government initiative to provide alternative locations for off-road activities.