A MOTORCYCLE fitted with a CCTV camera is planned to track dangerous young bikers riding recklessly over Darlington's parks and green spaces.

Andy Errington, head of community safety and youth offending, told the D&S Times that another crackdown on the rogue riders was in the pipeline.

Neighbourhood wardens patrolled on foot and were unable to catch up to the offenders, some of junior school age.

"But we hope to get a bike so we can follow things up. Like everything else, we have to find the money. What we want to do is mount a CCTV camera on it, so we can film them.

"If someone is riding through the Denes we don't want a high speed pursuit, but we do want sufficient evidence to take people to court and we will have that on camera."

In 1997, Darlington MP Alan Milburn drove a Warrior tank from Catterick over five confiscated bikes to launch a campaign to stamp out the motorcycle menace. But the problem is as bad as ever.

Insp Dennis Dixon, who liaises with the local authority, said: "We do still have a scheme and we are putting an operation together now to target illegal use.

"We get a lot of complaints about off-road bikes. It is a continuous problem and one we are always aware off."

Brian Pavey, a gamekeeper who lives on Red Hall estate, said: "We do have a problem here with motorbikes and the only way to stop them is what they did a couple of years ago, when the police brought in its motorbike team from Durham.

"Quad bikes are another problem. We have had a couple stolen from farms around here and I have seen them racing around at two and three in the morning."