A MOUNTAIN bike club last night said those responsible for planting a wire trap at a north Belfast country park had stooped to a "dangerous level".
The thick wire was stretched tightly between trees at chest height at Cave Hill Country Park.
Searches were carried out in the area yesterday after the wire was found strung across part of a trail in a "potentially dangerous position" on Tuesday.
It is the latest in a series of alleged attempts to sabotage the popular biking trails at the visitor attraction. Just two months ago the trail was damaged when trees were placed on the route and a hole dug.
Bernard McClure from the Cavehill Mountain Bikers club said someone could have suffered "serious injury".
"It's the worst sabotage we have seen, it has been ongoing for some time now with the trails damaged," he said.
"But it has been low level stuff compared to this.
"This sadly has escalated to a dangerous level with a thick wire, like tough nylon line, placed at chest height on one of the trails.
"It could have caused serious injury not just to cyclists, but walkers and runners. It was very difficult to see and was put a dangerous part of the trail where you would have been coming along at speed and would have been difficult to stop. It could have caused really serious injury, perhaps decapitating someone."
Mr McClure added that a cyclist who had found the trap cut the wire down and reported it to police.
A PSNI spokesman last night said visitors should be "mindful of their own safety" following the report.
"We have been contacted by wardens at the park who have told us that they have received a report of what has been described as a 'wire' having been placed across a trail somewhere in the country park in a potentially dangerous position," a spokesman said.
"This report was received by the wardens this morning (Tuesday) but so far, nothing has been located by them. We are asking that any cyclists or walkers who are out on the trails be mindful of their own safety."
Police have appealed for anyone who may "see any wire or anything else untoward" to contact Belfast City Council or the PSNI.
