Police say “aggressive” off-road drivers are coming from all over the country to a remote area of Mansfield as patrols are increased. Off-road bikes and 4x4s have long been an issue in The Desert, a large area of open space near the Oak Tree Lane Estate, which was previously popular with walkers.
The dangerous use of motorcycles and other off-road vehicles has plagued the site in recent years and more than 20 vehicles have been seized over the last six months. Nottinghamshire Police says it now has access to its own 4×4 vehicles fitted with ANPR cameras to catch the criminals involved.
PC George Twiddy, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This is a vast and beautiful area that should be enjoyed by walkers and families. Instead, it is being plagued by the illegal and aggressive use of off-road vehicles.
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“These people are coming from all over the country to an area that they are simply not allowed to be in – so they all need to understand that if we catch them there we will take action. They are putting themselves and other people at risk of serious injury and this is simply not acceptable.
“When injuries do happen people will find themselves a long way from help. This is a very remote area that would be extremely difficult to get an ambulance to.
“Some of the owners of these vehicles seem to believe that we can’t access and patrol this site for long periods of time, but this is simply not true. We have long had access to some off-road bikes of our own but now also have access to 4×4 vehicles with ANPR cameras and all the other things you’d expect of a police car.”
The Desert is already the subject of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) lasting from 2022 until 2025, which bans riders from the area and grants council officers and police the ability to fine or prosecute those committing offences.