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.