Off road bikes or quads cannot be driven on the highway unless the vehicle is registered with the DVLA and the driver has the correct driving licence and insurance. No road bikes or quads can be driven in parks or public open spaces due to safety concerns to members of the public.

This is the festive message from Cardiff Council's Off Road Unit which works closely with the South Wales Police to carry out operations to seize bikes which are driven illegally.

Cllr Peter Bradbury, Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure is asking parents not to buy their children these vehicles. If they have, the message is to only allow them to use them on private land or on designated tracks for motocross vehicles.

Cllr Bradbury said: "Recently I have heard about the tragic news in Liverpool when a 77 year old woman was hit and killed by a scrambler bike. The driver didn't have a license and wasn't insured.

"In Cardiff we get numerous reports of scrambler bikes and quads causing a misery to local residents. This is why this partnership is in place and I am pleased to report that since May 2017 we have confiscated 17 of these vehicles. Often we find children driving or riding on the back of these bikes and when we stop them these matters are referred to social services. Our operations will continue in the New Year."

The joint operations with the South Wales Police began in May 2016 and since then 34 bikes and quads have been seized. These vehicles are then crushed by an external contractor.