SARN HELEN again

[garyboy]

//Unfortunately my warning went ignored by a few and they are suffering for it //
quote HP [on warning to stay away from sarn last weekend]
?? I expect more info will leak out later.

[steve the grease]

It still says this on their website:
Stay protected
The laws surrounding where you can and can't ride are in some circumstances not understood in their entirety by those responsible for enforcing them. If a TRF member is riding within the law and is unfortunate enough to be challenged by prosecution, the TRF will support their defence. As you would imagine, the full extent of this will be determined on a case by case basis.

[The Sarge]

As predicted, BNP and the Police can't get up in the morning, had a lovely ride across Sarn on Sunday unhindered. Stopped to speak to the Farmer at Coelbren as usual, helped 2 walkers that had no idea of how to calculate distances from their map at Fforest.Then I arrive at Glan Usk services and the sneaky Bar****ds are in the car park taking down reg numbers of all the Offroad biased bikes. Rode on to Roman road then Muddfai to the Owls nest and didn't see a soul. Pushed for time I decided to go back via the Black Mountain and home by 11:00, I heard later though that the BNP were again at Coelbren and the Ystradfelte Rd, what a waste of their time !

Sarge

[steve the grease]

It's a bit sad when the best they can do is go round a carpark taking the numbers .......what does that achieve? Charges for conspiricy to have a cup of tea. I suppose it's just ' leaning' on riders to intimidate them.
A bloke I know got stopped by the Heddlu, he'd popped to the shops 300 yards for a pint of milk on a monkey bike, but neglected his helmet. He was getting a bollocking off the copper, anyway I stopped my car and stood and watched from about 15-20 feet away, not far enough to in any way be said to be getting in the way, but close enough to observe........ he didn't like it. Why don't people go to the Ystradfelte Rd and just sit there and film them , for an hour or two , one could go on a road bike so there could be no ' when we clear off you will be down there like a shot'.

[The Sarge]

It's a bit sad when the best they can do is go round a carpark taking the numbers .......what does that achieve? Charges for conspiricy to have a cup of tea. I suppose it's just ' leaning' on riders to intimidate them.
A bloke I know got stopped by the Heddlu, he'd popped to the shops 300 yards for a pint of milk on a monkey bike, but neglected his helmet. He was getting a bollocking off the copper, anyway I stopped my car and stood and watched from about 15-20 feet away, not far enough to in any way be said to be getting in the way, but close enough to observe........ he didn't like it. Why don't people go to the Ystradfelte Rd and just sit there and film them , for an hour or two , one could go on a road bike so there could be no ' when we clear off you will be down there like a shot'.

Steve, what follows is a letter headed by Dyfed Powys Police, Breconshire National Park and Sennybridge Excercise Training Area, all officially logo'd and signed by the Wankers in charge of each organisation. The letter states that there is reason to believe your vehicle has been involved in an illegal Offroad activity !! Not you have been caught red-handed in breach of TRO xyz etc. It goes on to state that such illegal activity carries a likely confiscation of the vehicle in question endorsed by the super Wankers Dyfed Powys Police. Unfortunately for them this letter has no legal right whatsoever, if you are riding legally and it is up to them to prove otherwise. My Solicitor laughed when I showed him the first one, on the second he told me that if it continues I could challenge them for harassment. I am waiting now to see if I get another, it will be interesting as to date the letters will have been for 3 different vehicles !!

Sarge

[PaulinBont]

Big Pete and a few of the lads were sitting in Glan Usk services when the Plod gave out such letters and said that "off-road bikes like theirs had been seen on the Ranges" (MoD land).

When the boys said they had just come off the Roman Road, the Warden peeped over Plod's shoulder and stated that the Roman Road wasn't legal; he got both barrels over that one and then a Retarded Major, (sorry -Retired Major) the Range Officer had his turn and said the bikes were almost identical 'scramblers' to those seen on Epynt.

A letter to the Chief Constable soon followed asking how a KTM 1090 and a F800GS could be mistaken for 'scramblers': cue 'Letter of Apology' and nothing more heard :whistle:

[The Sarge]

Big Pete and a few of the lads were sitting in Glan Usk services when the Plod gave out such letters and said that "off-road bikes like theirs had been seen on the Ranges" (MoD land).

When the boys said they had just come off the Roman Road, the Warden peeped over Plod's shoulder and stated that the Roman Road wasn't legal; he got both barrels over that one and then a Retarded Major (sorry -Retired) the Range Officer had his turn and said the bikes were almost identical 'scramblers' to those seen on Epynt.

A letter to the Chief Constable soon followed asking how a KTM 1090 and a F800GS could be mistaken for 'scramblers': cue 'Letter of Apology' and nothing more heard :whistle:

Paul,
You'd better paint your CCM yellow so you don't get mistaken for someone fitting my description "involved in an illegal Offroad activity "

Sarge

[PaulinBont]

Once I get the bike we'll do Sarn and rock up at the Visitor Centre covered in mud and have a cuppa (thumbs)


What I find short-sighted about the TRF's current strategy is that they will only disclose why they think Sarn is legal if defending a member in court. (and this stance appears to have shifted from a blanket reassurance to a conditional one!)

If they were to publicise this 'evidence' for the use by everyone who rides Sarn then surely the BBNPA would be less likely to prosecute; as it stands at present some people have been scared away from riding Sarn for fear of prosecution and before you know it the de facto belief that Sarn is not legal will prevail.

Finally, what the TRF fail to grasp is that this secrecy is counter-productive, there are other competent solicitors out there who are familiar with RoW legislation and other people like me may start to take the view to not bother with TRF membership and instruct a competent RoW solicitor if issued with a NIP.

[bowber]

Don't you have to make ALL evidence available to other party before a court case?
If so why be secretive about it as the prosecution would have access before the case came to court :huh:

Steve

[Scott_rider]

Whilst I do agree with what has been said about other solicitors apart from the TRF ones being able to successfully defend a case, I think one of the issues is that if you lose the legal costs can be eye-wateringly high and therefore for most of us that puts us off taking the risk. Whereas with the TRF they would cover the costs. Or at least that's how I thought it worked and I hope they aren't thinking of changing that?

I've had experience of defending a motoring charge at my own expense (not an off-road offence) and at one point we nearly gave up because the costs were getting so high. Thankfully, we won, albeit on a technicality rather than getting it thrown out .