A cyclist says someone could be “seriously injured” after discovering a set of traps on a popular mountain biking trail in Angus.
James Murray’s “blood was boiling” after he discovered the traps, which had been set on the well-used path in Ethie Woods.
The traps consist of wooden sticks which have been driven into the ground. presenting a danger to mountain bikers who may crash into or be forced to veer around them.
‘Stupid and dangerous’
The cyclist, who found six of the spike traps while walking his dog, has claimed that they could do hundreds of pounds worth of damage to a bike, or result in someone being seriously injured.
He said: “I just want to make people aware of these as they can be really dangerous.
“I think the bike trail is about a quarter of a mile long here, and I’ve found about five or six of these.
“They’ve mostly been set up on blind corners or at the top and bottom of rises, where people are unlikely to see them.
“If one of those sticks got stuck in a spoke it’s an expensive repair, especially on the more high-end ones.
“The worst case scenario is somebody hitting one of these and going over their handlebars, and if they do that and land on these spikes, well, they’re only going one way.
“They aren’t going to fold the other way, they’re going into someone.
“It’s just stupid and dangerous.”
‘All they’re going to do is kill someone’
James believes that whoever laid the traps is trying to keep those on motorbikes from using the trail – but may end up doing more harm than good.
He said: “There are a lot of motorbikes which use this trail and it’s not uncommon to see a branch or something placed across the track, but these are going to do a lot more harm than that.
“All they’re going to do is kill someone.”
Other cyclists have also been warned to check the track before the cycle, with James adding: “I would definitely recommend that people have a good check up and down here before setting off.
“I know a few people who use these trails so I’ve warned them, I’ve also posted it to the Arbroath Online Facebook page and my own personal Facebook.
“There are a few younger lads who ride around here too – 12, 13 or 14 sort of age – and I know that they’ve been going out more now that they’re allowed to.
“I just want to make people aware because this is super dangerous.”