TAVISTOCK Town Council has put a spoke in the wheels of an unofficial BMX club who are trying to resurrect an old track in the middle of the Bishopsmead estate.

Bikers have been ordered to stop work on 'dangerous' earth ramps used to practise their tricks following a petition signed by residents concerned about safety.

The old cycle track at the estate's play area was created by the town council many years ago but its humps and bumps have since been eroded.

Now the unofficial BMX club is trying to restore the track and moved in to start earthworks last month.

At last week's town council meeting Cllr Betty Batchelor said: 'The council has received a petition from residents in the area. One of the comments was that there could be a serious accident.

'People have asked me to say they are not against the youngsters, but they are concerned these humps are high enough from the top to look into their gardens.'

Cllr Norma Woodcock said she was 'not at all clear' the area was safe.

She said she felt the bumps could be 'dangerous' and suggested the old Bannawell swimming pool site might be more suitable for older riders — leaving Bishopsmead for the very young.

'There is a significant area which is flat at the old swimming pool site, you have a field with no trees on a slope and it's our land,' she said.

But Cllr Roger Mathew disagreed.

He said: 'The track sounds alright to me, and if there is an enthusiastic group that is actually prepared to get in there and sort it out I would suggest we encourage them.'

The council has written to the club's organiser, Andrew Quest, asking him to stop work on the Bishopsmead track on grounds of health and safety.

They also want to arrange a meeting to discuss the way ahead for the bikers.

Mr Quest said he welcomed the chance to talk.

'I've actually got about 30 members already — I'm basically just trying to work out some way of getting going on something.

'There is plenty of room to build on the existing space and we are not planning to take over the whole field.

'We just want to turn existing space into more than just a wasteland full of grass covered bumps.'

He said he appreciated the fact that Bishopsmead was an estate and the area would need to be kept clean and tidy.

'We don't want any riff-raff,' said Mr Quest.

He said he had been in contact with the in-line skate group Taviskate, but felt the ramps they intended to build in Benson's Meadow would not be suitable for BMX riders.

'I know there is no chance of getting a BMX park of our own. We don't want funding, JCBs or to take up any council worker's time.

'We don't want to annoy the neighbours or create an eyesore — we just want to ride our bikes and stay off the streets and out of trouble,' he said.

'I know they talk about the humps being dangerous, but I would rather someone fell off a pile of mud than go under a bus because they fell off the pavement.'