A NUMBER of ideas to deal with problem bikers in and around the Yorkshire Dales have been discussed at a special parish meeting of the town most affected by the issue.

The town of Hawes is regularly inundated with bikers on sunny days and residents have raised a number of concerns about dangerous riding and inconsiderate parking.

At a meeting of Hawes and High Abbottside Parish Council, councillors insisted that they were happy for bikers to visit the town, but that measures must be taken to curb their numbers.

More than 30 residents were also present, many of whom told the meeting about some of the problems they have faced in recent years, including a farmer who said he could no longer move his livestock on a Sunday because of the speeding bikes.

Among the proposals put forward at the meeting was a plan to use the Pennygarth car park, in the centre of the town, as a motorbikes only parking area, to prevent bikes being parked in front of shops and homes and blocking access routes.

Coun John Blackie, chairman of the parish council, said it was time for the council to take action and work together with the community to come up with a strategy.

The use of the Pennygarth will depend on permission being granted by the estate of the Lord of Bainbridge, which owns the land, but a trial run of the plan could take place this summer.

Four representatives from North Yorkshire Police were also present and told the meeting that the problems in Hawes and Wensleydale were being taken seriously by the force.

Inspector Dave Brown, who is the county lead for motorbike road policing strategy, said: "This problem of motorbikes is not just a problem in Hawes, it is county-wide and bikers are one of the most vulnerable groups on the roads.

"We do welcome bikers to the county because they do a lot for the local economy but we will not stand for the kind of riders that seem to be creeping up on us.

"Bikers make up 1.8 per cent of road users in North Yorkshire, but represented 38 per cent of its fatalities last year. "We had some success last year, but the problem is the size of the county and the resources that we have available to us."

Among the proposals put forward by the police to tackle problem bikers are plans to use unmarked bikes armed with cameras to catch out groups that ride dangerously, a new speed monitoring van to catch speeders and more visible use of police officers in cars to monitor the roads.

No one from the biking fraternity attended the meeting, despite invitations.