POLICE have launched a crackdown against bikers riding illegally on a Kidderminster nature reserve and making life a misery for residents of nearby streets.

The move follows complaints from householders about noise and intimidation from youths as young as 10 speeding around the Rifle Range estate and nature reserve on quad bikes and scramblers.

Beat manager, PC Dan Wood, said: "We are working hard to deal with the problem and we are currently working to identify the offenders and the times, dates and places the bikes are being ridden.

"This has been going on for some time and we need our partners and the community to work with us to tackle it."

Police spokeswoman, Lynne Masters, said officers had the power to seize bikes if they were being ridden in a manner likely to cause alarm or distress.

She warned parents who were planning to buy their children scramblers or quad bikes for Christmas to ensure they complied with the law.

It is against the law to ride off-road machines on the public highway and on common land or nature reserves.

They can only be ridden on private land with the permission of the owner and scrambler bike riders must be 16 or over, wear a crash helmet, hold a provisional licence and the bike must be registered, taxed and insured.