Chopwell Wood traps could kill someone, mountain biker warns

Mountain bikers confronted by a "trap" on a popular track have warned someone could be killed after more were found.

An upturned wooden fence, with its sharp ends pointing upwards, was placed on a path on the Powerline Mountain Bike Trail in Chopwell Wood, Gateshead, last month.

Fishing wire has since been tied at points across the track, while jumps have been smashed and holes dug.

Forestry England said it regularly checks trails to ensure they are safe.

Recent weeks have been "frightening," according to biker Colin Craig.

"Fishing line is tied from tree to tree, which you can't see. They tend to put it at neck or chest height."

The upturned fence found last month was described as looking like a "barbaric" medieval-style "torture unit".

Recalling how he narrowly avoided hitting it, Mr Craig said: "Luckily I just happened to see it at the last moment, skidded [to avoid it] and crashed into a tree.

"I could've been impaled. I come out mountain biking, but want to go home to my wife, children and grandchildren.

"Many young kids come down the tracks a lot faster than me. They might not have been able to stop and we might've had a death on our hands."

Mr Craig said he had taken to checking the route on foot to "make sure nothing is there, for everyone's safety".

He is calling for cameras to be installed on the trail to help identify troublemakers.

Giles Brockman, Forestry England's area manager for Hamsterley and Chopwell woods, said staff carry out "regular trail inspections" to make sure they are safe to use.

"If we're getting a regular hotspot we could consider putting cameras up, but the options are pretty limited in a forest.

"We've got a record for one serious trap in the last 12 months. The fence incident was a shocking risk and we involved police in that."

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