Hi Brian,
I agree totally, no-one is prepared to act against the idiots who are happy to ruin the countryside for the majority so that they can have a bit of fun.
For me it's the Ridgeway that's a major problem in my area. The bit I was previously referring to is where the A40 crosses it, so all they have to do is swan down the A40, ignore the 'No Motor Vehicles' sign, and have great fun carving up the track. Problem is that when it's wet no-one can use it, and when it's dry, it's so rutted it's a dangerous ankle twister.
What also bothers me is that the Ridgeway is a National Trail, and 'advertised' in such publications as Lonely Planet's 'Walking in Britain'. What must our overseas visitors think when they find our National Trails allowed to be devastated like this? Incidentally, it will come as no suprise to learn that the section of the Ridgeway that crosses Chequers is very pleasant, so our Tone is probably blissfully unaware of what these people do.
Like you, I'm not intrinsically against people using these vehicles, and have a couple of very close friends who own them and use them on tracks built for the purpose. They go off every Sunday, and come back covered in mud and [censored] having had a great time. One Sunday they came back complete with broken axle, which I suspect is why the idiot brigade prefer to use the tracks intended for walkers, rather than damage their little monsters.
S.