POACHERS are happily using their fists to attack Ilkley's river bailiffs who confront them about their thieving.

A catalogue of verbal and physical abuse, lies and excuses has been recorded by those patrolling the banks of the River Wharfe between the Ilkley Old Bridge and Cocking End.

The stretch of water belongs to the Myddleton Angling Club, which has a restricted membership of 50.

One of the club's bailiffs, Keith Schofield, 67, is appalled at the actions of poachers but has a message for those who steal fish - 'enough is enough, you don't break the law and get away with it'.

Mr Schofield is both saddened and disgusted with the

situations he and colleagues have to face.

"Make no mistake, there are some really nasty characters involved in poaching this stretch of river. They are villains who come to take what they want. Although I wasn't struck myself, we had an incident down by the river where punches were thrown and it was very unpleasant," he said.

Mr Schofield said the club was determined not to let the poachers win. His pursuit of 'justice' has seen him travel to a variety of notorious areas to track down poachers and see them prosecuted. There was one individual whom I traced to a particular estate in Keighley. The man leaned out of his window and hurled all sorts of abuse at myself and a colleague when we turned up with the police," said Mr Schofield.

Without wanting to reveal the annual cost of stocking the river, Mr Schofield said the poachers were stealing valuable quantities of fish. During the trout season (which runs from March 25 to September 30) Mr Schofield patrols one side of the river, a colleague patrols the other. They feel they have to work in pairs for safety in numbers.

Mr Schofield said club members have had enough with the activities of poachers. He said signs clearly stating the stretch of river was the angling clubs had been ripped down and anglers had also been caught using live bait on a fly fishing stretch.

Mr Schofield, a club bailiff for ten years, said all those fishing without permission would be treated in the same way. Bailiffs have the power to seize tackle and they will not hesitate to call the police. "Inspector Bennett of Ilkley Police has been very good. We explained the situation and when I contact them about an incident, someone is usually down here pretty quickly," he said.

Mr Schofield contacted the Gazette to publicise the fact poaching does not pay. He revealed how two men from the Leeds area could not produce a valid fishing licence and gave false information regarding their names and addresses.

The police were called and the men taken into custody. They were subsequently fined and found themselves the subject of a private prosecution brought by the Myddleton Angling Club.

Inspector Alison Bennett said: "Stealing fish is simply not acceptable. Neither is threatening those whose job it is to guard the fish stocks."

Insp Bennett said people may not be aware, living in a rural setting, that individuals from the urban sprawl are happy to travel to Ilkley and poach its fish.

The Ilkley bailiff has a stark warning to poachers - 'we're watching you'. Mr Schofield has pounced on poachers just after dawn and just after dark. His advice is to buy a fishing licence (£16) and forget the excuses - he's heard them all before.

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