Wildlife haven damaged by cyclists
A WILDLIFE haven is being ruined by cyclists churning up the grass and racing through the woods, it has been claimed.
Eco-campaigners fear ancient by-laws for Queen's Wood in Muswell Hill do nothing to prevent problem cyclists cutting through the forest to avoid the main roads on an almost daily basis.
Lucy Roots, chairwoman of the Friends of Queen's Wood, told police at a Muswell Hill and Fortis Green Association meeting last Wednesday: "I've been completely flabbergasted by it.
"It's a local nature reserve and if we have bicycles churning up the ground it will damage the wildlife. Cycling does not come under any of the local by-laws which at the moment are absolutely ridiculous."
She even claimed police teams had used the woods as recently as last month to hold their own bicycle training workshops for residents.
Sergeant Dave Bullock, of the Muswell Hill Safer Neighbourhood Team, admitted the by-laws, which were written by Haringey Council about 100 years ago, are "very dated".
He added: "They go into things like 'you shall not repair a chair on Sunday in the woods' which basically aren't very good at tackling anti-social behaviour.
"It is something we're dealing with and we are talking with the council. We're also looking into the possibility of having gates put in.
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Muswell Hill
Journal News |
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