A group of youths in Silsden are fed up being labelled as vandals and are working with Silsden Business Watch to find an area where they can ride their bikes.

The 35-strong group of boys, aged between 13 and 16, enjoy trials biking on lightweight pedal cycles.

They practice hard to negotiate their bikes over difficult obstacles and manoeuvre the bikes without putting their feet down on the floor.

The problem is that the boys have nowhere specific to practise the sport and have been told off for trying to do tricks on walls in the town.

Phillip Armstrong, 14, said: "We really need somewhere to practice. What we do is a sport and we want to have somewhere out of the way where we won't be damaging walls and where we can just go to practice. The police have told us off before now, but it's not really fair because this is what keeps us out of trouble. We all enjoy it and just want to get to ride the bikes over rocks and things out of the way of everyone."

Silsden Business Watch has seen the boys biking on walls around the town centre and members were concerned at damage being done to the flower beds and the flagging.

Chairman of the watch John Lohan said: "The damage that they are doing when they ride on the walls is not deliberate, but it is damage nonetheless.

"However, we recognised that the lads were not setting out to cause damage and that they are skilled riders.

"We approached them, asking if we could help them set up an alternative place to ride.

"They came back and said that they would need very large rocks and sleepers or steel benches and suggested an area at the bottom of the park.

"The idea was that if we could get the money together it would be on the understanding that they stopped riding the bikes on the public area and causing damage."

Phillip and his friends attend South Craven School, and many of them enter competitions where they have to complete sections of a course on their bikes against the clock. Phillip, who has been trials riding for two years, goes to the Tyke Trials at Bingley, and came third when he competed in the British Championships last year.

His mother Jennifer added: "I don't want them being thought of as vandals because they hang around in a big group. They all just enjoy this as a hobby. It is a sport, but because people don't know much about it they think they are causing trouble when they're all together on their bikes. But the truth is they're a good bunch of lads."

Phillip's father said: "It wouldn't cost a lot -- all they need is a bit of land put aside, maybe in the park, and some rocks or logs to use to jump off and hop over."

Mr Lohan said: "We are trying to secure some funding for this at the moment because we realise that these lads are not bad but that they are just trying to improve their sport. At the end of the day they are trying to emulate the sporting success of the Lampkins, which has put Silsden on the map.

"We want to support them all the way, and with their co-operation and responsibility we really hope we can get a positive solution to this."

If anyone can offer help, either practical or financial, they should contact Mr Lohan on 01535 656 753.