The guardians of the New Forest are calling for those who persistently stray from approved bike paths to be prosecuted, leading to a bitter row with cyclists.
The Verderers, who are charged with protecting the New Forest, have argued that bikes which stray from marked tracks are a “widespread problem” because they disturb nature, erode paths, and their lights harm nocturnal animals.
But cyclists say the forestry officials are prejudiced against them.
The comments mark an escalation in an increasingly bitter row over how the national park – which covers southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire and dates back to William the Conqueror – is managed.
On one side is the Verderers’ Court – an elected group responsible for the protection and conservation of the forest.