THE local council has hit out at thoughtless motorcyclists and mountain bikers who are destroying ancient woodland in West Looe. For the second year running, bikers have been 'wreaking havoc' by riding their vehicles off-track in Kilminorth Woods, which is designated as an Area of Great Landscape Value and a local nature reserve. Owned and managed by Caradon District Council, the site is South East Cornwall's largest primeval oak woods. Last year mountain bikers, who are permitted to use the bridleway through the woods, began using the area for off-road biking, building large ramps and causing substantial damage to the ancient woodland's fragile environment. Caradon removed the ramps, but the bikers are back in force this year. Trial bikers have also taken to using the woods – even though motorcycles are prohibited from the area – causing much more serious damage to the woods and creating a hazard for walkers. Councillor Margaret Allen, Caradon's environment portfolio holder, said: 'During the past year I've made many visits across Caradon to see our woodland sites and nature reserves, but my recent trip to Kilminorth Woods was the saddest. 'The bikers are destroying the lichens, mosses and ferns for which the woods are known and disturbing the habitat of small creatures such as voles, insects and nesting birds. Deer and badgers are also being affected, and one bike track passes close to an established badger sett. 'Worse still, the bikers have dug out sections of the Giant's Hedge to form tracks. There can be no excuse for wantonly destroying an ancient monument, and it is clear from the scale of the destruction that we are talking about the actions of adults rather than children.'