AN URGENT appeal has been launched to stop off-road motorbikes ripping up Darenth Woods, near Dartford. Parish councillor Penny Friend has demanded landowners, Dartford Council, and the police to do more to protect the site which is home to many rare species of wildlife.

Damage has also been reported at land previously occupied by Mabledon Hospital, which has been maturing as a wildlife haven since its closure several years ago. Mrs Friend claimed the scale of the problem was unbelievable: "The motorbikes are literally destroying everything in sight and no one is stopping them.

"We are getting up to 30 adult motorbike scramblers during some days - they come from all over the area. Of course, we know what Mabledon has by way of endangered species and it remains to be seen if the badgers and adders, let alone slow worms, make it."

The wrecking sprees have also concerned Dartford MP Dr Howard Stoate. He, too, has demanded police and council action. He said: "I've no intention of standing by and watching one of the most attractive and botanically important woodlands in north Kent reduced to a quagmire by a few dozen bikers.

"I would also ask any biker who is using the woods to consider the damage they are causing and appeal to them find a more appropriate location for their activities."

A North Kent Police spokesman revealed rural officers were planning a greater focus on the menace in the spring and summer. "They will be carrying out operations and have identified problems with off-road motorcycles in north Kent," she said. "This location is a targeted area."

A fiercely-opposed application to build about 150 homes and a crematorium on the former Mabledon Hospital site is yet to be determined.