Illegal off-road bikers have been warned their vehicles will be taken and crushed when police locate them.

Officers in North Flintshire are running Operation Blue Takeoff to tackle the antisocial use of the vehicles across the district.

Inspector Stephen Roberts said: "We have off-road bikes causing a menace with antisocial driving, so we have developed this operation with our internal partners.

"We have trained off-road motorbike officers who can access the more inaccessible areas where these people may be.

"We also have units with specialist kit to help us track these bikes down.

"They are acting with total ignorance of the law and they don't realise the danger they're putting themselves in.

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"Our primary aim is to make out neighbourhoods safer and at the same time that means making things safer for the people who are doing this."

The Inspector said those involved in the offences are believed to be in their late teens to early 20s and have been seen riding without helmets or registration plates, as well as committing various traffic offences.

"It's a real antisocial nuisance to residents," he added.

"Many people have complained to us about it and my message to the people doing this is - you won't know we're there until it's too late.

"When we knock on your door and seize your bike, you won't be getting it back.

"It will be crushed."