Mountain bikers hit by 'nail trap' on Darwen Moors (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Mountain bikers hit by 'nail trap' on Darwen Moors
11:58am Monday 16th April 2012 in Crime news
By Catherine Pye, Health reporter
The nail trap discovered on Darwen Moors.
CONCERNS have been raised after a hidden rusty ‘nail trap’ was found at a popular cycling area.
Peter Riley, 48, of Chorley, was cycling on Darwen Moors when his friend picked up a puncture in both his front and rear tyres.
After inspecting the area, at grid reference 678209, he found a plank of wood buried in the mud, with a row of one-inch nails sticking up.
Mr Riley said: “The week before I’d been cycling on my own in the same area and I got a puncture, so I stopped, fixed it, and thought no more about it.
“Then, on Wednesday night, my friend got double punctures in more or less the same place, and I thought it was odd.
“I went looking around, and I found a plank of wood with a double row of nails sticking out. I was horrifed and believe that, without a doubt, it was put there to deter mountain bikers.
“The thing is though, that mountain bikes will be least affected by this.
“A punctured tyre is a minor inconvenience compared to a nail going through someone’s foot, or a horse, or dog, being injured.
“I regularly come up on the moors with my six-year-old boy and it’s scary to think that he could have gone jumping into the mud and hit that.”
Mr Riley removed the plank and tried to find a countryside ranger to tell about the incident. He is keen that other moor users should be careful.
Coun Jean Rigby said she was ‘horrified’.
She said: “It just makes you wonder how many more there are.
“What kind of sick people can do this sort of thing, knowing that people can get hurt?
“It’s just mindless and I can’t see what benefit, or pleasure, anyone can get in leaving a trap full of nails somewhere so people, or animals, can get hurt.
“I would urge people to be careful and contact the police immediately if they see one of these items.”
The land belongs to Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, and is maintained for it by Capita.
Nobody from either organisation was available for a comment when approached by the Lancashire Telegraph.
Comments(25)
happycyclist
says...
12:05pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Idiotic.
happycyclist
says...
12:11pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Chuck-Norris wrote:What, and that excuses it?
Probably brassed off with cyclists on the footpath....
Chuck-Norris
says...
12:14pm Mon 16 Apr 12
happycyclist
says...
12:25pm Mon 16 Apr 12
louderfasterlonger
says...
12:38pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Keep Darwen Green
says...
12:45pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Keep Darwen Green
says...
12:49pm Mon 16 Apr 12
woolywords
says...
1:21pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Whether it is named footpath/bridleway/t
owpath is wholly irrelevant, as long as it is a right of way to any users, the point is that someone has wilfully placed an object, with intent to do harm, in the ground.
Of course, pedants would confine mountain bikes to a few places in either Wales or Scotland that have heights over 1000 metres and thus allow normal cycles free range.
This does not include that fella with the hand-cranked tricycle that is regularily seen on the tops of Lake District hills following the ancient High Street.
(National Parks authorities let it go, as it had 3 wheels and wasn't a bicycle, didn't have a motor and wasn't classed a wheelchair..decision still pending from around 1974.)
louderfasterlonger
says...
1:48pm Mon 16 Apr 12
happycyclist wrote:Wow (un) happy, the laws regarding this subject are only 31 years old... it's not as if we are talking the 13th century law that states "you cannot eat a turnip that resembles the king's head" here.
louderfasterlonger wrote:The whole footpath/bridleway/B
You're right, nothing excuses this behaviour, but as I've said before footpaths for feet, bridleways for cycles.
OAT/permissible path thing needs reviewing in England and Wales. Scotland have it right. We're stuck with archaic laws that have little relevance in the 21st Century. Many footpaths are perfectly OK to mountain-bike on and many bridleways are impossible to ride on.
What about all cycle tracks that people walk on with their dogs and p*ss cyclists off? It works both ways and the solution is for everyone to show a bit more respect for other users; it's not difficult. Getting worked up about a bunch of yob mountain-bikers who haven't slowed down and nearly knocked you over is one thing, but getting worked up about the odd considerate mountain-biker BECAUSE they're technically on a footpath is childish. Irresponsible cyclists will p*ss walkers off whether it's a footpath, cycle path or a bridleway. The status of the path is largely irrelevant.
And it's not that clear what are footpaths and what are bridleways/permitted bridleways up there. If you go off the OS map, the only bridleway anywhere near the moors is the one from The Sunnyhurst to The Royal at Tockholes via Stepback, but the West Pennine Moors Bridleway Strategy from LCC shows many more access routes on tracks that are perfectly suited to bikes and horses. It's a ridiculous and confusing situation that helps create animosity between users when everyone is just out for a nice time.
Access should be based on impact and practicalities, not daft green dots and dashes on a map.
Personally, I don't much care what sort of path cyclists use, but where do we draw the line, because i'd love to take my quad bike up there.
I know I'm being a little pedantic, but the LT has only today highlighted the state of the footpaths in Sunnyhurst Woods which are regularly used by cyclists.
sean_brfc
says...
1:52pm Mon 16 Apr 12
If cyclists were not allowed on the footpaths Darwen Moors would not be the excellent place it is to go mountain biking. At the moment it really is top-class. But if walkers really want to prevent East Lancs from becoming a hub for cycling - as has recently been suggested - then selfish ones like these will probably prevail.
happycyclist
says...
3:10pm Mon 16 Apr 12
What do you mean by the laws regarding this are only 31 years old?
We draw the line at motorised vehicles.
The Sunnyhurst Woods story doesn't mention cyclists. That story is about poor maintenance.
JayEss
says...
3:30pm Mon 16 Apr 12
It's mindless pain and suffering which has clearly been planned. It's not a 'spur of the moment' thing.
Redbike
says...
3:41pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Another scenario - tend to go "off piste" quite a bit and again the only way back to civilisation can be a "footpath."
As HappyC has pointed out "there's enough room up there for everyone".
louderfasterlonger
says...
3:47pm Mon 16 Apr 12
happycyclist wrote:Didn't really notice offensive comment Happy..... I refer to Wildlife and Countryside act 1981 as amended, then amended, then amended again.
@Louderfasterlonger: Notice how my offensive comment that you quoted has been removed? I think the editor has a real problem with every comment I make on news stories and made it his personal mission to remove them all. So keep quoting me or your posts will look like you're talking to yourself as he removes mine.
What do you mean by the laws regarding this are only 31 years old?
We draw the line at motorised vehicles.
The Sunnyhurst Woods story doesn't mention cyclists. That story is about poor maintenance.
The Sunnyhurst Woods story does not mention bikes but, by your own admission back in march you ignore the ban and ride your bike through the woods anyway.
burner
says...
4:45pm Mon 16 Apr 12
.
Message timed at 4:45. Bets taken on how long it lasts !!!
Malthus
says...
5:52pm Mon 16 Apr 12
nathanspeak
says...
6:22pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Michael@ClitheroeSince58
says...
8:28pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Keep Darwen Green wrote:I must disagree, I would have never known how to make a nail trap now I'm in full production and hopefully I can get a better picture for the LT with hundreds of punctured wheels for next week :)
Oh and another thing Mr telegraph editor. I know what a short plank with nails in looks like, and I think I could point out a bike wheel also, so no pic required on this one.
Tizziep
says...
9:35pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Smee Again
says...
11:52pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Keep Darwen Green wrote:But someone might recognise the piece of wood or the nails in it.................i
Oh and another thing Mr telegraph editor. I know what a short plank with nails in looks like, and I think I could point out a bike wheel also, so no pic required on this one.
f you recognise this piece of wood or the nails please report it to your local.....
CapitaBackHander
says...
10:22am Tue 17 Apr 12
Cyclists ie mtb are allowed on the moors and are actively encouraged to by BWDC. It is technically open land but actually bridalways re west pennine route and plan. Only the complex legals stop the signs. No one would get spoken to for riding on any of the moors. Roddsworth which is owned by united utils is different but if no damage caused then nothing will ever happen.
Walkers with dogs however have no right what so ever to think they can let their dog foul anywhere without picking it up.
I always slow (if I have managed to some how buildup speed haha) and say hi and never have any issue in 99% of cases. I have been walking with daughter when cyclists flyby and that is just wrong if we are not stood to the side!
jo normal
says...
5:13pm Tue 17 Apr 12
Keep Darwen Green
says...
6:37pm Tue 17 Apr 12
Smee Again wrote:I recognise it, its the coffin lid on Rovers premier league status.
Keep Darwen Green wrote:But someone might recognise the piece of wood or the nails in it.................i
Oh and another thing Mr telegraph editor. I know what a short plank with nails in looks like, and I think I could point out a bike wheel also, so no pic required on this one.
f you recognise this piece of wood or the nails please report it to your local.....
devo12
says...
9:10pm Tue 17 Apr 12
Chuck-Norris wrote:ban the walkers cos they scare away the birds and that's unfair on the ornithologists (birdy watchers) go walk round Darwen town centre instead.
Probably brassed off with cyclists on the footpath....
Chuck-Norris says...
12:05pm Mon 16 Apr 12