Gates which the council have fitted in at an entrance to Rectory Park have stirred people living nearby.

John Wakelin, 72, of Parkfield Road, Northolt , said Ealing Council ripped down perfectly good ‘kissing gates’ and put in gates which he thinks allow loud off-road bikes to come through on Monday last week (July 28).

The 72-year-old who lives on his own said he is speaking on behalf of neighbours who are all unhappy with the change at the entrance in Parkfield Close, and were not notified beforehand.

Ealing’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, Bassam Mahfouz , has defended the gates and said it would not be possible for motorbikes to get through because of their wide handlebars.

Mr Wakelin said: “All the residents agree with me.

“The kissing gates were put in about eight or nine years ago after a young girl was hit by a bike and now they have put up metal contraptions which allow bikes to come through.

“At 8.30pm on the Monday we had the first bike come through, he did a couple of wheelies.

“There are old people and young children living around here. When the kids go back to school someone is going to get injured.

“I would say it cost a lot of money to do the work. It’s a waste of tax payers’ money because they get rid of perfectly good gates and now it’s created a problem.”

Mr Mahfouz said he thought it cost about £1,000 to get the new gates fitted in, which he thought was a small amount of money.

He said: “There are cycling routes across Rectory Park. Every time I want to go out I have to go the long way round (because of the kissing gates) and if you have a mother with a buggy it’s almost impossible.

“The first thing we said to cycling officers was that we would not allow anything that motorbikes could get through.

“This is actually one of the more difficult entrances to get through, there are a number of other entrances to the park a motorbike could get through.”