Two dirt bikes have been seized by police officers targeting illegal off-road motorcycling on farmland in Three Rivers.

The area has seen a spike in in reports of people using off-road bikes in farmers’ fields straddling the Herts and Bucks border, resulting in thousands of pounds worth of damage to crops.

Officers from the Rickmansworth and Croxley Green Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), in partnership with Thames Valley Police (TVP), have completed a month-long operation targeting the issue.

Earlier this month, officers spotted a rider on fields adjacent to Woodoaks Farm in Maple Cross. They signalled for him to stop, however he dropped the bike in a panic and ran – officers seized the motorcycle.

Another rider in Denham Way, who was not displaying a registration plate, was stopped and found to have no insurance. The officers seized his bike and reported him for no insurance, no road tax, no lighting and no index plate displayed.

Over the recent bank holiday weekend, police stopped five bikes riding on fields near to Warren Farm, just over the border in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire.

All the riders were issued with Section 59 warnings, meaning that if they are caught riding their bikes illegally or anti-socially again, they will be seized. Four of the riders were also given Community Protection Warnings prohibiting them from riding their bikes illegally on farmland.

PC Christian Gottmann, from the Rickmansworth and Croxley Green SNT, said: “Farmers have sadly reported increased damage to their crops in the past month so in response, we have worked closely with both the rural community and our colleagues in TVP to target those choosing to cause such reckless damage to people’s livelihoods.

“We have spoken to more than 30 people so far to educate them about the harm they are causing, as well as remind them that it is illegal to ride off-road bikes on private land without the owner’s permission, as well as any public area such as parks or playgrounds.”