Neighbouring villages hit by bikers and arsonists

On Saturday night, a farmer's field between Bawtry and Harworth was used as a dumping ground for a car, which was then torched.

It was only a few hundred yards away from a woodland which had previously been used to set another vehicle ablaze.

Hours earlier on Saturday, youths on motorcycles had been churning up the same farming land, driving at high speed, and steering their machines across fencing and into the grounds of Grade II listed Bawtry Hall.

It is not uncommon for quad bikers to rip across land off Tickhill Road, on the border of South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.

One resident of Bawtry's Green Park estate said: "This area is normally a tranquil, pleasant corridor between the two areas, and anti-social people are not welcome here.

"Bikers racing around the fields do damage and can risk accidents with dog walkers and ramblers."

South Yorkshire police all but predicted last weekend's problems.

Ten days earlier, they posted an online statement detailing the issues that people in Bawtry, Tickhill, Wadworth, Rossington, and Finningley had been in touch with them about.

"The primary concerns currently being raised with us in these areas are around Anti-Social Behaviour in the form of nuisance vehicles - including off road bikes, quads, speeding vehicles and parking complaints."

They say they are being proactive.

Operations this month in Doncaster South had "seen some positive results, including recovery of various off road bikes and stolen vehicles.

"We are working hard to reduce crime in your communities and increase safety in the process, with off-road bikes in particular being one of our main focuses."

It is illegal for quad bikes, three-wheeled bikes, trail bikes and some other two-wheeled vehicles to be ridden in public parks or on publicly-owned or private land without permission.

Police invite people to report incidents online or by ringing 101.

SYP's messaging on Facebook about the situation has had a mixed reception.

Some locals have expressed gratitude for their patrols, but another noted: "It’s just been on the news saying Yorkshire is one of the worst places for uninsured car drivers, and you are chasing kids round the fields. Get your priorities right!"