Malvern police post pictures on Facebook of several trails with single strand barbed wire strewn across them at waist height.

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Malvern Cops: “Bike and foot patrols on the Malvern Hills following barbed wire being hung across several tracks on the hills. Anyone with any information please call 101 and quote log ref: 0622_i_07032021”

Pic: Malvern Cops / Facebook

Mountain biking has long been a popular activity on the Malvern Hills ever since the early days of the sport back in the 90s. Racing and MTB social events are a longstanding feature of the ‘Malverns’ too. For such an iconic and striking area there are surprisingly few bridleways. Pretty much all of the bridleways can be ridden in one relatively modest route (see our Malvern Hills route from 2019).

In recent times there have been welcome moves to increase the access for mountain bikers to the Malvern Hills. Back in 2018 two waymarked mountain bike trails were opened on the Malverns. The share-the-trail vibe has also seen a noticeable reciprocation from the local mountain biking community; Malvern mountain bikers help clear paths and improve access for all.

Read more: ‘Be Nice, Say Hi!’ guidance for sharing the trails

Yet here we are in 2021 and the spectre of trail sabotage is back. No doubt the era of Covid lockdowns hasn’t helped. A marked increase in the use of trails has seen a shortening of tempers and empathy on all sides. Be careful out there. And don’t forget to be polite to those you encounter. Share the trails. Be nice, say Hi!