Two county councillors have met with senior officers from Monmouthshire’s highways department to discuss the problem of off road motorbikes on tracks and unclassified county roads above Whitebrook and Tintern.

Cllr Richard John and Cllr Ann Webb held two site meetings last week to look at the tracks first hand and see the damage off road motorbikes have caused.The council has been liaising with Gwent Police over their ’Operation Harley’, aimed at cracking down on illegal biking in the area.Cllr Richard John said, "I’m grateful to officers, local residents and community councillors for taking the time to meet with me and Ann in Tintern and Whitebrook so we could see first hand the damage that’s being done to these tracks both in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and in conservation areas, making them unsafe for pedestrians and horse riders."These bikers are also a real nuisance for local residents and tourists, creating excessive noise, which reverberates around the Wye Valley."Many of these bikers seem to travel a long way to use these tracks, but it’s causing misery for so many local residents. We’re now going to take advice on what steps the county council can take, working with the police and Natural Resources Wales, to crack down on this and ensure that people can better enjoy the Wye Valley." Cllr Ann Webb said, "Many residents are really frustrated with the nuisance these bikes are causing, not just in terms of noise, but the damage to these popular walking tracks. Many tourists come to the Wye Valley to enjoy the beautiful scenery and are left disappointed if their holiday is spoilt by the noise of irresponsible bikers. "We will work with officers and other authorities to see how enforcement can be improved and how we can restrict access to these tracks, so local residents and visitors can enjoy all that the Wye Valley has to offer in peace."