OFF-ROAD motorbikers and quadbikers are being accused of tormenting a rural village by breaking padlocks allowing farm animals to escape, threatening locals, and even “barbecuing a sheep”.

Residents in Aberangell, near Mallwyd, say they are being terrorised.

A public meeting was held in the village hall last Wednesday in a bid to reduce the amount of anti-social behaviour in the area, with key officials invited in a bid to stop the “intimidating tactics” of the off-road motorists.

Barry Mortimer, who lives in the village and owns land nearby, told the Cambrian News he was tired of the relentless abuse of his community.

“It’s a real problem, it’s getting out of hand,” he said.

“That’s why we held a meeting and invited as many people as we could - the police, the MP, the council and Natural Resources Wales.

“Every weekend we have transit vans pile into the village - I counted as many as 13 recently - and bikes and quadbikes are offloaded which tear around the forests here.

“It’s been going on for years, but it’s getting worse and worse.

“Gates are pulled off their bars, padlocks are cut using boltcutters, and sheep and cows are left free to walk out onto the road, and rubbish is left everywhere.

“One farmer even reported their sheep had been killed and one had been barbecued - it’s infuriating.”

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