CONCERNS have been raised about people driving motorbikes on the dunes of an idyllic Furness beach.

Police have been alerted to bikes being driven around the protected areas of the sands of Roanhead beach.

Members of Askam and Ireleth Parish Council discussed their concerns about the issue, which police say they are tackling.

At the most recent meeting of the parish council, police said they had logged six reports of anti-social behaviour, including motorcycles on the beach.

The area off the coast of Askam is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is owned by the National Trust as part of the Sandscale Hawes nature reserve.

There is a road into the site but motorbike riders are said to have been driving into the dunes and into the privately-owned woods behind Askam beach.

Residents have been asked to report the incidents to police.

Askam town clerk Janice Cummings said: “People need to realise the damage they are doing.

“This is a protected area. The problem is not persistent but springs up every so often.

“It has got much better since the police investigated it.

“We are not asking for officers to prosecute anyone, we just want them to give them a talking to.”