A CAMPAIGN to try to stop the growing number of "menace motorbikers" that plague the Dales has been launched.

Horton-in-Ribblesdale Parish Council members are leading the way with a new campaign to try and cut the number of motorcyclists who race around the area's narrow country roads.

Parish councillor Wilf Fenten, who is also a member of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority said: "I have been, like many of my colleagues, concerned about the growing menace of motor bikers who race along small Dales roads with excessive noise and speed.

"People in Ribblesdale and many other parts of the Yorkshire Dales National Park are fed up to their back teeth with the excessive noise and speed of those bikers. We are campaigning strongly for action to be taken.

"Just surf the internet anywhere and you will find plenty of comments about our small roads. There's one web site that actually talks about the route from Settle to Hawes and says, 'the next best thing to the TT circuit'.

"That's not the only site either. Others say go to Settle and on to Ingleton, but 'beware of the police'."

"In the wake of foot and mouth disease we are particularly worried as some visitors have indicated that they don't want to come back because it is too noisy here.

"Not even on top of Ingleborough can you escape the horrendous noise of these motorbikes - many of which sport racing exhausts, which are not only noisier but also illegal."

Mr Fenten added that the parish council was currently trying to arrange a meeting with the police and other interested bodies such as the county councils, district councils, parish councils and highways. He said this needed to encompass those suffering in the Craven area and those neighbouring counties, which also had the same problem.

"We hope to look at all options. It's not just a police issue, they cannot cope by themselves. We must be united in dealing with this problem. Of course we need more police enforcement, but that isn't the end of the story," continued Mr Fenten.

"Personally, I would welcome an advisory speed of 40mph on all open moorland roads. The effect of this would be that fewer sheep would be killed and people would be aware that they are in a national park and that different standards should apply to national parks. That's one way forward, but obviously all these options need to be discussed."

Mr Fenten said the problem had grown rapidly in the last 10 years with the rise in the popularity of motorcycles.

He added last year's Bike 2000 Campaign introduced by North Yorkshire Police to persuade motorcyclists to ride more responsibly, might have improved the safety of motorbikes but had made no difference to speeds and noise levels.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman denied that claim and said the campaign had made a difference to the attitude of motorcyclists.

He added:"On our part, we have now also changed the emphasis towards enforcement, so we will be concentrating on speeding and anti-social behaviour including noise even more."

The education side of the campaign is now being looked after by an advisory body The Edge.