Off-road bikers cause misery at Pensarn beach

Sep 10 2008

JUST when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, Pensarn beach is encountering dangerous and anti-social problems with off-road bikers.

Motorcyclists have been slammed by angry residents concerned that their constant use on the stretch of Pensarn shoreline may soon cause an accident.

There have been reports of incidents involving quad bikes, and local resident Colin Masters is among the dissenting voices.

"Since the closure of the market in Abergele the sole attraction for visitors is the beach at Pensarn. The visitors and local residents must be able to enjoy its few pleasures in peace and safety," said Colin.

"The peace is shattered by these anti- social activities and if there was an accident the justifiable claim for compensation from the council and the police could be huge."

Clwyd West AM Darren Millar added his voice to those concerned.

"The authorities need to act swiftly to address this problem. It is unacceptable for off-road motorcycles to be operating in the same area as pedestrians and it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident," said Mr Millar.

"Those who sell these off-road vehicles should accept some responsibility to ensure that those who buy them have somewhere to ride them legally and safely before a sale is finalised."

Harbourmaster Tony Mead responded: "These activities occur on our coastal areas relatively frequently. We are manned seven days a week until the end of September and will send a member of staff to the site to deal with the problem.

"We do this frequently in any event. This issue is one which the police can and indeed have dealt with in the past. This has sometimes resulted in the confiscation of the vehicle concerned."

The ongoing problem is said to be something which phases in and out, usually with the summer season.

However, one visitor to Pensarn beach encountered a different danger when their grandson was stung by a jellyfish. The angry grandparent said: "Not only is there no warning about jellyfish at the beach, there is not even a First Aid post to deal with casualties."

When the matter was discussed at a recent meeting of the Abergele Town Council, Cllr Delyth Macrae highlighted the need for a box to be available on the promenade. Cllr John Maclennan told the council that he would take the issue up with the promenade committee.