The future of a popular motocross track is still in doubt, despite pleas to re-open it.

Teenagers had been using an area of land for biking near Kidlington roundabout.

But council chiefs were forced to close the site when rubble was illegally dumped there.

Oxfordshire County Council, which owns the land, said the company which dumped the hardcore was about to remove it from the site.

But chief property officer Neil Monaghan said: "Our intention would be to turn the land back into agricultural use. "We allowed the parish council to use the land for what we thought would be local people's motocross, but it all got out of hand, and people from across the county were coming to the site."

Kidlington Parish Council said it would like to see the track re-opened once the rubble is removed.

Clerk to the council, Trish Redpath, said: "The decision on the land lies with the county council.

"The track proved very useful in keeping motorcyclists away from estates and the towpath and we would like to see it open again but the decision is out of our hands."

Kidlington police, which also backed the use of the land as a motorcross tack, said there had been a slight increase in youngsters racing around roads since closure of the site.

Story date: Tuesday 28 December

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