Wigan borough residents voice anger at the rise of illegal off-roads driving incidents

Anger has been voiced at an upsurge in illegal off-road driving incidents in a Wigan borough township.

Residents have reported seeing people using large quads and motorcycles at Bickershaw Country Park which is managed by Lancashire Wildlife Trust and owned by Wigan Council.

Leigh West councillors Dane Anderton, Sue Greensmith and Samantha Brown are calling for action. Coun Anderton said: “The sheer disregard people still have for this space and residents nearby is unacceptable when you can go to legitimate places in Abram and Astley only a few minutes away.

“These few off-roaders are giving other enthusiasts a bad name. We are calling on the council and police to set up a partnership arrangement to solve this issue here and across the borough.

“These are our green spaces and the few people who are destroying them for their own selfish reasons should be reported and held accountable for this criminal damage as the council will have to replace these counter-measures until such time they are caught.”

Councillors are fighting for fencing and boulders to block access plus CCTV provision.

One resident said: “A few months ago two people were seriously hurt and it took over three hours for emergency services to reach them and get them to safety. That is to say nothing of the noise pollution and visual damage to paths and grasslands, which besides being an annoyance and unsightly, disrupts local wildlife and impacts them in numerous ways.”

There are fears the disruption could mar the area’s bid for nature reserve status.

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