POLICE'S off-road motorbike team was out in force on a country park over the weekend in a crackdown on scrambler bikers putting the public at risk and destroying natural wildlife habitats.

Cutacre Country Park has been plagued by off-road bikers ­— both individual and gangs ­— in recent weeks, causing a menace to park users, and in some cases threatening members of the public when tackled about their behaviour.

Following complaints to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) off-road motorbike team were out patrolling the 530 acre park on Saturday and Sunday.

The park attracts more than 1,000 visitors a day, and Friends of Cutacre Country Park said the situation with quad and scrambler bikes was "beginning to escalate into a serious concern for public safety" and in some cases when tackled about their behaviour, the bikers had become threatening.

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Member of Friends of Cutacre Country Park, John Bullen said: "Well done GMP.

"Matters were beginning to get out of hand and now officers have stepped in and made a big statement about our country park.

" Apart from the risk of serious injury to visitors from motorbikes travelling at speed along footpaths the bikers have been going off path.

"We don't think they realise what damage this can cause. Cutacre is a wildlife park.

"It is a protected site for crested newts and deer, hares, rabbits, stoats, water vole and foxes have been seen weeks. Ornithologists are reporting sightings of all sorts of varieties of birdlife - bull and gold finch, reed warblers, stonechats and barn and tawny owl.

"Apart from the noise of the bikes by going off the footpaths the bikers are putting all these species at risk. The newts will be making their way to the ponds and lakes right now, ground nesting birds will be setting up home and suddenly a motorbike comes tearing along. Thank goodness our officers have stepped in to protect the public and the wildlife."

He said the presence of the off-road bike unit meant that walkers, runners, bikers, pony trekkers and strollers were able to enjoy the terrain and bask in the beautiful weekend weather.

Mr Bullen said he had received a lot of positive feedback following the police operation and would be writing to the police chiefs to thank them.