Safety concerns rise over illegal off-road bikers
BBCUrgent action is being called for to stop illegal off-road biking putting walkers, cyclists and horse riders at risk.
People living in the Eighton Banks area of Gateshead said the problem of motorcyclists illegally using a nearby bridleway was steadily getting worse, with peaks on weekends.
A BBC drone captured footage of several scramblers using the route, which used to be part of the old Bowes Rail Line servicing nearby coal mines.
Northumbria Police said it remained committed to tackling anti-social behaviour.
'Someone will get hurt'
The concerns come as the Government's Crime and Policing Bill progresses through Parliament with the aim of enhancing police powers.
Andy Dixon, who has lived in the area for more than 40 years, said: "The police can't do anything about it and cannot catch them."
He said someone could be seriously injured if the problem was not tackled.
Jackie Smith, from Jarrow, rides her horse around Eighton Banks and said she had first-hand experience of how the animals reacted when spooked.
"There was one incident a couple of years ago where a stolen motorbike accelerated past us and we ended up in a ditch with one horse on its side," she said.
"This is what we're up against most of the time."
'Vehicles to be destroyed'
A spokesperson for Northumbria Police said the problem was being taken seriously and a number of bikes had been seized from an address in Gateshead.
They added the vehicles were linked to dangerous driving and would eventually be destroyed.
With the help of Gateshead Council, the force has put up signs to remind the public that motorbike use in the bridleway is illegal and urged anyone with similar concerns about their area to get in touch.