Popular beauty spot torn to shreds by scrambler bikes in horrific images

Shocking photos show the destruction caused by illegal off-road bikes that have torn fields on Marsden Moor to shreds.

The beauty spot is being wrecked by scrambler bikes that have been spotted racing on the moorland over recent weekends.

A new police taskforce has been set up to crack down on illegal motorbike riding in the area that is putting wildlife, including protected birds, at risk, according to rangers from the National Trust.

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Rangers are carrying out joint patrols of the moor with the Kirklees Nuisance Anti-Social Behaviour Team to clamp down on the off road bikes.

Using motorbikes and vehicles on Marsden Moor is illegal. The damage caused by motorbikes can take hundreds of years to undo as vehicle tyres can expose and erode the peat, increasing the risk of flood and leaching carbon into the atmosphere.

Nesting birds and wild mountain hares are easily disturbed by the noise of motorbikes and the heat from exhausts can cause moorland fires.

Ian Dowson, area ranger for the National Trust, said: “Unfortunately, it seems off-road vehicles using the moors is becoming a reoccurring issue. We have increased our ranger patrols and are working closely with West Yorkshire Police to help educate riders.

“These incidents have a huge environmental and financial impact and undo the countless volunteer hours and money spent restoring this landscape.”

A number of campfires have also been found by rangers in recent weeks. A huge blaze in February 2019, started by one barbecue, took four days to put out and charred seven square miles of the moorland, killing countless wild animals and birds.

Visitors to the moor are