Fishing wire at neck height and other delightful traps

Bad vibes appear to be growing in some of Northern Ireland’s riding spots with the discovery of some fishing wire strung between two trees in Cavehill Country Park earlier this week.

Thankfully the wire was discovered by a dog walker rather than by a rider riding into the wire.

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This grim incident comes after a recent occasion on July 2nd where a round of the First Tracks Enduro Cup Race in Rostrevor was disrupted by the discovery of several logs and rocks deliberately placed at key danger points on the course.

Other recent incidents

There have also been instances of wool, of all things, being strung between trees in Rostrevor.

This latest incident at Cavehill has resulted in the Cavehill Mountain Bikers group calling for increased after-hours surveillance of the bike trails in the park.

James Cunningham, who is a member of the group, is quoted in the Belfast Telegraph as saying: “Over the past weeks and months we have noticed an increase in obstacles being deliberately put in the way on the trails. Things like logs or rocks. But this is even more frightening”.

Pudding heads

It’s not just mountain bikers who are outraged at such sabotage. Cornac Hamill of the Cavehill Conservation Campaign said: “This is utterly reprehensible. The pudding head responsible has no idea of the potential damage they could cause.”

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The fishing wire incident has been reported to the police.

Inspector Roy Burnside said is was “an unbelievably dangerous thing to do. Whoever was responsible could have caused serious injury or worse to anyone using the track, had this wire not been found by a member of the public, who I commend for his vigilance”.

Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting reference 645 of 19 July.