Wire traps being set up in the Tuggeranong Nature Reserve along dirt tracks are reprehensible, a cycling body vice-president says.
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As previously reported in the Sunday Canberra Times, locals believe the wire traps have been set up to catch motorcyclists and cyclists using the trail at the back of the reserve.
A Theodore resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said motorcyclists were joyriding along the walking track, with walkers and motorcyclists often trading threats.
Canberra Off-Road Cyclists vice-president Darren Stewart said that was no excuse to put people's lives at risk.
"That's not an overstatement with this sort of thing," Mr Stewart said.
"It's just a reprehensible act. It's alarming and saddening at the same time. It would be nice if there was some common decency across all levels of the community."
ACT police said they were investigating the use of the traps but Mr Stewart said it would be too late if someone was injured by them.
But at the same time it would be pulling resources away from more major things, Mr Stewart said.
He warned adult and children cyclists could be injured by the traps.
"It's not only cyclists that are affected but just general trail users: train runners, people walking their dogs at night, everyone's affected," Mr Stewart said.
Similar booby traps have been seen in Canberra before.
Barbed wire and fishing line traps set up to look like low-hanging branches were found on the Centenary Trail near Tuggeranong in September 2015.
At the time, local bushwalker Michael Archinal said the traps - one of which he nearly walked in to - were set up at neck height to potentially keep cyclists and walkers out of the area.
Mr Archinal reported the matter to police at the time but no one was charged relating to the matter.
The discovery of the traps followed the November 2014 hospitalisation of then-60 year old cyclist Brian Pearce who crashed his bike after running into tree branches laid out on a Tuggeranong cycling track.
ACT police said on Monday they never received a complaint about this incident, and nobody was charged.
The latest traps were discovered by a local who did not want to be named.
Mr Stewart said hitting one of the wire traps could result in "catastrophic consequences" if a rider was to go over the handlebars.
"Broken necks, broken limbs, fingers, right down to minor grazing but the big thing about this is little kids right through to adults can be affected by this," Mr Stewart said.
