MOTORCYCLE riding yobs have attacked a female council worker with stones.
The costal ranger was working on the All Wales Coastal Path on Bagillt Foreshore when she approached a group of three youths riding motorbikes on the path.
They then shouted abuse at her and when two walkers on the path tried to intervene they started throwing stones.
Bagillt councillor Mike Reece said: “She was very shaken up by it. Throwing stones is very dangerous. If the stones had hit somebody they could have ended up in hospital. She was lucky she wasn’t hit.
“The woman had gone to approach them when they started shouting at her. Two members of the public came to help her and they started throwing stones at her.”
Police have confirmed they are looking into the incident which took place just after midday on Friday near the site of the former Bettisfield Colliery.
It comes just weeks after the scenic four mile section between Flint and Greenfield Dock was opened by environment minister John Griffiths.
The Flint to Greenfield section has benefited from £750,000 from the Coastal Access Improvements Programme which has funded work including new rights of way, resurfacing and the installation of new gates to make the route more accessible to walkers.
Cllr Reece said fences had been damaged by the riders gaining access to the path.
“This needs to be clamped down on,” he said. “We used to have a big problem with motorbikes on the site, but a lot of money has gone into the costal path project to tidy it up, the last thing we need is these motorbikes coming back.”
Flintshire countryside ranger Mike Taylor said there was a persistent group using the path.
He said: “They are going down there and damaging property on the path and they are putting the public at risk. Someone speeding down there could do a lot of damage.
“As soon as someone sees anything they should not treat it as an isolated incident and report the matter to police so they can get an idea as to the scale of the problem.”
A spokesman for North Wales Police said: “We were called after reports a lady was quite distressed in Bagillt. She had been verbally assaulted.
“We have spoken to the woman and are looking into it.”
A Flintshire Council spokesman confirmed stones were thrown at the council worker.
He added: “One of our coastal rangers was subject to verbal abuse when they challenged youths using motorbikes on the coastal path. The incident was reported to the police and we will co-operate with them with a view to identifying those responsible.”