NUISANCE bikers are making life a misery for residents on a Basildon estate.

Residents living around the playing fields at the back of Kingswood Junior School, in Clay Hill Road, are growing increasingly frustrated with youngsters tearing up the park and surrounding streets on offroad scrambler bikes.

The problem has got so bad that parents are terrified of letting their children out to play in case they are run over.

Darren Weston, 39, of Gun Hill Place, said: “It’s getting ridiculous now. Sometimes it goes on for the whole afternoon.

“I don’t feel comfortable when my wife takes our five and seven year olds to the park, because it’s only a matter of time before a kid is mowed down and killed. These bikers even ride on the path, they seem to think it’s funny.

“We can’t just ignore this forever.

It’s a nice estate and our neighbours are wonderful, but these youngsters are ruining it for everyone. They have got to be in their late teens or early twenties so they really are old enough to know better.”

In May, the Echo revealed volunteers had been forced to reinforce the fence and gate at Marks Hill Wood, in Langdon Hills, because of Motocross riders using it as a race track.

The problems with illegal riders this summer are thought to have reached boiling point since the closure of Action Park, off the A127, in Wickford, an outdoor activity centre for off-road vehicles such as quad and motocross bikes.

Kerry Smith, Independence Group councillor for Nethermayne, called on police officers to use their powers.

He said: “The police won’t chase after these scramblers in case there is in accident. In my opinion that might actually teach them a lesson. We need to stop the political correctness and health and safety, and do all we can to arrest these people.

They are breaking the law.

“These people just go from estate to estate. My own mum has had problems before on the Chalvedon estate in Pitsea. It’s not fair on innocent residents who can't even sit in their back gardens because of the noise.”

Under Section 59 of the Road Traffic Act, police are able to hand out official warnings and seize bikes causing “alarm, distress or annoyance.”

Motocross track applies to reopen

A MOTORCROSS track which was forced to close in May has launched a bid to reopen.

Action Park, off the A127 at Bonville Farm, Wickford, had operated on green belt land without planning permission for seven years.

Basildon Council issued enforcement notices demanding the centre’s closure, but has since entered into discussions with owner Philip McCaul.

The site included a motocross track, paintball arena and assault course, and was used by schools, youth and disability groups.

Mr McCaul believes the increase in illegal riding since Action Park closed has changed the attitude of council officials.

He said: “It is only going to get worse and I think if we don’t get permission to open there will be a whole lot more illegal riding.

“At the moment people are waiting to see if we are going to open again. We must get 50 calls per week.

“We offered bike storage for £5 per week, which parents were over the moon with because they knew the kids couldn’t take them out and ride illegally.”

A formal request for permission, handed to Basildon Council last week, also includes improvements to the access road which would reduce the steepness of the approach to Action Park.

Mr McCaul added: “Noise level issues have been addressed in this current application and I intend to relocate the core operation to the centre of the site.”