A COUNCILLOR says kissing gates have done the job of stopping nuisance motorbikes despite criticism and calls for them to be removed by cycling campaigners.

In a video announcing he was standing for re-election as Worcestershire County councillor for Warndon, Andy Roberts spoke about his 'care with share system' as one of his successes in office.

But in the video he adds: "That's sharing with everybody - except the illegal motorbikes.

"We have managed to exclude those by putting up gates at various locations."

That comment, made in the video posted by the Worcester Conservative Association in a tweet, attracted criticism with one person replying: "The 'gates' you talk about are a barrier to cyclists trying to legally access the cycle path infrastructure.

"When are you going to remove them?"

Danny Brothwell, chairman of Bike Worcester, told the Worcester News he also wanted to see the gates gone.

"Putting up barriers like that is considered no longer best practise at all," the cycling campaigner said.

"If if is a thing about slowing people down, stopping motorbikes, it would be about putting bollards in instead.

"They definitely need to be removing barriers - barriers of all kinds - like these gates.

"There could not be a better example of a barrier to cyclists than a big lump of metal, where people have to get off their bike or find a different route around.

"Those barriers don't necessarily stop motorbikes anyway."

But Cllr Roberts hit back, stressing the gates had been a success, saying: "Well the motorbikes aren't there now.

"The policy is for all our pathways to share with care - you expect everybody to do the decent thing when using them.

"We have had that problem of illegal motorbikes for several years.

"There was one particularly route, that gives access to Trotshill Way, where we stopped it by providing a substantial kissing gate.

"My feedback from local cyclists is they (the gates) are a bit awkward to use but keep them.

"That's what they are telling me.

"They want them to stay in place because they keep things safer for everybody."