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Saboteurs angry at bicycles 'taking over' country roads targeted a cycling event by scattering nails, putting lives of riders in danger.

Nails were strewn along the road in a New Forest village as more than 2,000 cyclists took part in an 84-mile ride which has angered locals.

Police are investigating the incident in Bransgore, Hampshire, which saw more than 20 participants in the Wiggle Sportive suffer punctures.

Opponents of the event had put up posters listing 15 villages and towns on the route and urging residents to raise the alarm if entrants caused trouble.

New Forest East MP Julian Lewis today condemned the sabotage as 'absolutely reprehensible' and vowed to raise the matter in Government.

Dr Lewis said: 'It does not help anyone when people, however frustrated they feel, do something that could lead to a nasty accident or at the very least a nasty confrontation.

'I'm hoping the cause of the provocation will sooner rather than later be sorted out, but taking the law into one's own hands is not the way forward.

'Doing something illegal and dangerous is never the right thing to do.'

Dr Lewis said talks were taking place with Government ministers and national park chiefs to resolve tensions between residents and cyclists.

He added: 'This whole issue is absolutely being focused on by local elected representatives right up to Government ministers.

'I would appeal to the community to disassociate themselves from these actions.'

Martin Barden, director of UK Cycling Events which organised the Wiggle Spring Sportive, criticised the vandalism.

New forest residents do seem to be particularly militant about people coming and upsetting their villages (i.e. this isn't the first time i've seen them complaining about some event or other).... being an area makes (i expect) a large part of it's income from visitors & tourists seems a little counter intuitive.

New forest residents do seem to be particularly militant about people coming and upsetting their villages (i.e. this isn't the first time i've seen them complaining about some event or other).... being an area makes (i expect) a large part of it's income from visitors & tourists seems a little counter intuitive.

The thing is, if it's anything like the Lake District National Park, many of the inhabitants who "don't want anyone else there" will be rich already and won't depend on tourism to make their living.

From what I recall of the Boxhill residents re cycling events it is that they are told the event is taking place and they have no voice

Sounds like you're siding with the tack sprinklers there!

Driven to it wher they?