Safety fears as bikers use quarry as 'racetrack'

Motorcyclists using a working china clay quarry as "an enormous racetrack" are putting lives at risk, bosses have warned.

There have been more e-bikes and motocross bikes driving across the privately-owned Littlejohns Pit, near Roche in Cornwall, this year than ever before, according to mining company Imerys.

Mark Hewson, the company's UK lead, said motorcyclists using the 200 miles (322km) of roads at the site had frequently appeared unexpectedly in front of 100-tonne haulage trucks.

"If somebody on an out-of-control e-bike or motocross bike comes across the trucks, there's only going to be one conclusion," he warned.

Hewson explained the haulage trucks at the site were up to five times the size of a normal lorry and "take over 100m [360ft] to stop".

"If you are one of the guys driving this mobile plant truck and you hit somebody, that's going to stay with you for life," he said.

He said some staff had been verbally abused by trespassing bikers and, in one case, a worker had been attacked.

"Our guys come to work to do a job, they deserve better than that. They don't deserve to to be attacked or abused just for trying to keep people safe," he said.

Devon and Cornwall Police said trespassing on privately-owned land was classed as a civil matter but officers would investigate any criminal offences committed in the quarry.

Wayne Mingo, mobile plant services manager at the quarry, said drivers were coming across bikers every day on the haul roads.

He said: "You've got banks at the side of every road - they're safety banks, but motorcyclists use them as a ramp.

"It's not uncommon to have a motorcyclist just appear from nowhere in front of the truck.

"It only takes a mistake from the biker... it's an accident waiting to happen."

Just 10 miles (16km) away from the quarry is Fraddon Motopark, a custom-built track for motocross riders run by Sam Chapman who also warned trespassers of the potential consequences.

He said the bikers at his track "spent a lot of money on equipment" but often those riding in the quarry "buy bikes online and head out there because they think it's great fun - until something goes wrong".

"Unfortunately, with working machines and everything else, it'd be a shame if someone really got hurt," he said.

Imerys environment, health and safety manager Jenna Bray said she had "real concerns there will be a threat to life".

She said there had been 400 recorded cases of trespassers at the site last year, including 160 bikers, but she warned many more had gone unrecorded.

Also causing concern was the number of swimmers and walkers risking injury by trespassing in the quarry, she said.

Bray said: "With cold water shock, there is a real risk of drowning, and the steep sides of the quarries make it hard to get out and hard for emergency workers to help them.

"Some 60% of the accidental drownings which occurred last year were in inland water, places like quarries; and a lot of them were young children and teenagers."

She said the mobile phone network was poor and the nature of the quarry was ever-changing.

"Even if you think you're familiar with the area, it absolutely might change with unstable slopes and sudden drops, you don't know what you're walking into," she said.

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