The Sugar Loaf is one of the many jewels in Abergavenny’s crown, but every so often the fragility of the natural environment is exploited by those who don’t see it that way.

This was the case on the afternoon of Saturday April 11 when two visitors tried to use their weekend to enjoy a stroll down the mountain at Forest Coal Pit. However, they were left shaken and distressed after being forced off the path by off-road bikers tearing up the landscape many Monmouthshire residents call home.

“They fully knew they were in the wrong but still came full pelt at us,” one of them told The Chronicle after the ordeal.

“We tried to stand our ground but it was unnerving. They do a huge amount of damage to the paths and the environment. But of course it’s a low level law breaking issue so the police are not interested.”

While some bikes, including quad bikes and trail bikes, are built to be used off-road, it is against the law to use them in public parks or on publicly-owned land without permission from the local authority.

Similarly to unlicensed vehicles, these can only be used on private roads or land with the permission of the land-owner.

In video footage seen by The Chronicle, the walkers did tell the bikers they weren’t allowed to ride on the path. At this point, the bikes were ridden directly at them.

Chief Inspector Mark Soderland, from Gwent Police, confirmed the force had received a report of the incident and continue to work to tackle the illegal use of off-road vehicles.

"As part of Operation Harley, our officers work across our service area to address the dangerous use of off-road vehicles,” he said.

"Riding on mountainsides not only causes significant damage to land, but can pose serious risk to the rider – especially if the weather is poor or unpredictable.”

“The land can often be unstable, meaning it could potentially lead to a serious collision and injury, endangering yourself and others.”

“We received a report of three off-road bikes being driven on land at Forest Coalpit, Abergavenny, at around 5.35pm on Saturday 11 April.”

“We continue to work with key partners, like Natural Resources Wales and local authorities, as well as land owners/farmers, to look at ways of minimising damage and identifying those guilty of illegal off-roading.”

“You can help protect your community, by telling us when and where these bikes are being used and where they are stored so we can seize any machines driven illegally.”

“If you have any concerns about the use of illegal off-road bikes in your area, please report it to us via our website, call 101 or send a direct message to our Facebook or X social media pages, so we can act.

“Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, with information.”

“In an emergency, always call 999.”