PEOPLE caught riding mini motorbikes in Burnley are being warned they could be jailed or hit with an anti-social behaviour order.

And now Burnley Council, police and housing company Calico are trying to find a site in the borough where people can ride off-road bikes legally.

The move comes after the bodies launched a campaign to warn parents not to buy their children mini motos and other off-road vehicles as Christmas presents as part of a clampdown on youngsters illegally riding the bikes in the borough.

Coun Charles Bullas, executive member for community safety said: "People are fed up of the noise and nuisance that these mini motorbikes can cause. There are no public areas of land in the borough where you can ride off-road legitimately. That includes places such as parks, waste ground or pavements.

"If a bike is ridden on any public off-road area the rider is breaking the law.

"If it's ridden on the road then the bike has to have all the proper registration documents and be taxed, MOTed and insured."

As part of the Bye Bye Moto' campaign, posters will be put up in hotspot areas and leaflets handed out.

The council, police and Calico are also searching for an off-road site in Burnley where people of all ages can ride bikes legally.

Until then people caught riding mini motos and other off-road machines such as quad bikes, motocross/trail bikes, electric scooters and go-peds could: l have the bike seized and crushed l have to pay a recovery fee of £125 to get it back, plus a storage fee of £12 a day if it is impounded l be hit with an anti-social behaviour order l be banned from driving l face jail.

Coun Bullas added: "In the end the message is a simple one - there's nowhere to ride them, so don't buy them."

Anyone wanting to report people illegally riding motorbikes should contact the council's anti-social behaviour hotline on 0845 6052222. Calls charged at national rate.