POLICE have vowed to clamp down on off-road drivers and bikers in a bid to protect wildlife at the Tees estuary.

Cleveland police have received complaints from English Nature about damage to the habitats of birds and plants at Bran Sands, near Redcar.

The site covers several acres of sand dunes on the south side of the estuary and is a nesting site for sea birds. It is also an important habitat for a variety of plants.

PC Ian Solomon, police wildlife officer for the Langbaurgh area, said: "Damage is being caused by off-road bikes, quads and four-wheel drive cars, but we think in many cases the people driving such vehicles may not know the damage they are causing.

"We intend to increase patrols, in some areas using our mounted section, to discourage people from using the area."

He added that it was illegal to ride or drive vehicles in the area, and they could be seized under the Police Reform Act.

A spokesman for English Nature said: "The area affected by these off-road activities is a nationally important wildlife site. It forms part of the South Gare and Coatham Sands Site of Special Scientific Interest for migratory water birds.

"Our main concerns are noise and visual disturbance."

She said off-road drivers forced the birds to stop feeding and take to the sky, using up vital energy stores needed to help them survive the cold winter months.

Steve Ashton, wildlife manager at Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, said: "We have had people complain about riders tearing around the dunes. It just isn't safe.

"Around this time we try to cordon off areas where little terns are nesting, so we fully support what the police are trying to do."