POLICE are hunting scrambler riders who have wrecked woodland trails by churning them up.

The dedicated routes for push bikes in the forestry areas around Cannop will need resurfacing at a cost of £5,000, say woodland bosses.

Gloucestershire Police are making an appeal to identify the rider of a white and red scrambler-type bike seen on the trail.

“The rider of the motorbike is suspected of riding the bike across the cycle trails belonging to the Forestry Commission and has churned them up, making them unusable until they have been resurfaced at a cost of £5,000,” said a force spokesperson.

“The bike has been described as a white and red scrambler style bike, with gold suspension forks and a ‘3’ on a plate at the front. The bike has no registration plate on it.

“There are concerns that this is a regular occurrence over the weekends.

“The motorbikes have been used in the recreational areas around Cannop, using forestry trails that are designed for use by mountain bikes.”

Anyone with information should contact Gloucestershire Constabulary on 101, quoting incident 56 of 13 July.

Better news for cyclists visiting the Forest is that Dean Trail Volunteers at the Forest Of Dean Mountain Bike Centre have given the GBU (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) and Corkscrew downhill trails major upgrades.

A spokesperson said last week: “GBU has had a major overhaul and requires a period of settling to allow the new and improved features to harden off.

“This process is dependent on the weather as it requires rain and sunshine to play their part.

“We are also installing new signage and fencing and after testing last week we have had to make a few modifications.

“Once everything is done and settled it has to go through a process of testing and safety approval.

“So with all this in mind GBU will probably not be open for a couple more weeks but we will try and keep everyone up to date with progress.”

They added: “The barriers are down and the tape is all rolled up on the improved Corkscrew downhill trail.”