ILLEGAL motorbike riders and underage drinkers are endangering rare plants and wildlife on Yate Common.

Teenagers have been responsible for chaotic scenes on the common in recent weeks, including leaving hundreds of smashed and empty bottles of alcohol after a school leaving party, setting fire to trees and riding mini-motorbikes across the grass.

Now the Friends of Yate Common are fearful that the school summer holidays will pose more risks to indigenous plants and animals, such as rare bee orchids and hundreds of rabbits which live on the land.

Chairman Lin Kendall said: "The problems are mainly at weekends but now the older children are only in school for exams it is in the day as well.

"The motorbikes are so noisy and the drivers are often threatening and aggressive if you try to speak to them."

She added: "When the Year 10s left school they held a party in the woods. The next day I collected 26 bags of rubbish. I could have cried, there was litter all round the pond and in the water.

"My dog cuts its paw when it followed me to collect bottles. He got an infection and that cost me £300. It is just a nightmare."

Mrs Kendall, who has lived in St Briavel’s Drive for 45 years, said: "We will keep on striving and hope we are winning. This whole area used to be just fields so just think what we have taken from nature already.

"The wildlife is quite tolerant but it is not fair."

She urged any dog walkers or passers by who witnessed incidents of anti-social behaviour or criminal damage to contact the police immediately.

Pat Cotterell, a member of the friends, said: "We have more problems with vandalism, trees being chopped down and set on fire, flowers being pulled up and thrown down and left to die.

"This week we had a motorbike riding all over the common and then set on fire, near to where the rare bee orchids are."

Sgt Adrian Fallows, from Chipping Sodbury Police, said officers were aware of the problems on the common.

He told the Gazette: "We will be conducting patrols in the area and obviously if anyone is found using these vehicles inappropriately they will be given a warning.

"That means if they are caught doing it again their vehicle could be seized and crushed."

He added: "The main problem is at weekends and last weekend there were also some incidents of damage to signs to the common."

Anyone who witnessed the incidents or has any information which could help should call 0845 456 7000.