POLICE chiefs are getting tough with tearaway teenage cyclists by threatening to punish them under a 168-year-old law.

Officers in Darlington have warned the youngsters, who are causing chaos for shopkeepers and residents in the Cockerton area, that they could be given a £30 fine for riding on the pavements.

The gangs of cyclists are breaking the 1835 Highways Act.

That leaves them open to a £30 fine and anyone issued with a ticket has four weeks to pay.

And things could get even worse if they fail to pay in time as the penalty can rise to £45.

Beat officer for the area, PC Amanda Stevens, has given several fixed penalty notices to those she caught in the pedestrians-only area.

Complaints had been made to police about the nuisance and the youngsters were warned about their behaviour by officers.

But after the verbal warnings failed to have any effect, police launched the crackdown with the aid of 19th Century law.

PC Stevens said: "This will not be tolerated. The cyclists have been causing real problems for shoppers for quite some time and their behaviour has to change.

"There is often a group of up to a dozen or 15 young people at a time, which can clearly be intimidating, particularly for older people."

As well as the threat of being fined, the cyclists may find themselves reported to their parents and have their bikes confiscated.

The police said there were alternative sites nearby which could be used, including a former garage forecourt which has been resurfaced.

PC Stevens said: "They have been told on numerous occasions to ride their bikes somewhere else.

"Often their attitude is very cheeky, but the fines certainly caught them by surprise."