A mini-motorbike venue could be set up to give riders a safe alternative to illegal street-riding.

West Yorkshire Police are trying to find a large patch of land that can be turned into a centre for the district's mini-motorbike riders.

The facility would be very basic to begin with but, if it proved popular, it would be developed to include obstacle courses, ramps and riding skill lessons.

Motorbike dealers who have profited from the boom in mini-motorbike sales could be asked to sponsor the scheme. Inspector Owen West, of Shipley Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "The first thing to do is find some land which is big enough and isn't in a built- up area, so it doesn't create a noise problem for residents."

Insp West and Shipley MP Philip Davies are working closely on the project. They are going to ask Bradford Council if it has a suitable plot of land that could be used.

Mr Davies said: "If we can set something up, it would be a positive move because mini-motorbikes are the most common cause of anti-social behaviour across the district. At the moment, there are very few places where they can be ridden legally." Mini-motorbikes can only be used on private land, or public land with the owner's consent, because they do not conform to UK vehicle safety standards. They cannot be ridden legally on streets, paths, or in parks and riders can be prosecuted for having no license, insurance, MOT and often no helmet.

Police also have powers to confiscate and destroy bikes. More than 60 were crushed on Shipley's Windhill estate in October.

Insp West said the creation of a designated area for mini-motorbike riders would be the 'first step' in tackling the problem of illegal riding.

He said: "I'm not nave enough to think that everyone will bother to use it because half the appeal of mini-motorbikes is riding around the streets. But there will be some children with responsible parents who take up the opportunity to ride legally and safely. It will be there as an alternative."

Councillor Carol Beardmore, (Lib Dem, Eccleshill), said: "It would be great if they could find a piece of land that suits all residents. But it would have to be well supervised and managed. You can't just open it up and let them have free reign.

"It must be well thought-out in terms of its location. If people are riding on the public highways to get there, it defeats the whole object. There must also be a good supply of petrol nearby."

Andy Rowley, Chairman of Windhill Ward Tasking Team, said: "I would welcome any areas that can be designate for youngsters to ride because I don't believe in persecuting them.

"We don't want to be kill-joys, but these bikes are clearly unsuitable for the roads and they cause problems in the community."

A Bradford Council spokesman said: "We would look into the issue of seeing if there is any land available, but it would involve various outside agencies and a number of Bradford Council departments depending on where the land is and site implications."