CHILDREN on scooters endangered themselves and innocent riders when they invaded a cycling track and harassed riders during a Dubbo Cycle Club training session.
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The incident, which took place at the cycling track at Victoria Park No. 1 Oval last week, has left club members disgusted but relieved no one was hurt.
"I didn't see them arrive, they were towards the northern end of the ground then a couple of the kids jumped over the fence with their scooters, onto the track and tried to ride alongside the cyclists," Dubbo Cycling Club President Craig Granger said.
"A group of guys that was riding around at 45km/h yelled at the kids to get off the track.
"The kids yelled back at them, swearing, calling the riders 'f--g c--s'.
"When I saw what was going on I walked across the track to make sure they left. They took off out the gate, swearing, and I followed them until they were out."
Mr Granger said he saw at least four children causing trouble at the track that night, all possibly under 10 years old, and called police.
"I told them the group had just left and had headed south along Darling Street and right into Wingewarra Street," he said.
Mr Granger said had there been a collision between a cyclist and one of the scooter-riding children the result could have been devastating.
"Basically they would have taken out the kid and themselves, and potentially the 10 or so riders who were riding around in a group," he said.
"It could have caused any sort of injury."
Mr Granger said it was the worst incident of its kind he could remember.
"We get some people who come to watch that we have to tell not to sit on the fence and dangle their legs over, because it's dangerous, but nothing like this," he said.
It seemed some parents were not taking responsibility for their children's whereabouts, Mr Granger said.
"There could have been an accident, and if the law can't touch them (children) maybe the parents need to be made more accountable," he said.
"Unfortunately it it's the way things are heading.
"It's a 'me' society. People think, 'I can do what I want, when I want'."
Meanwhile, police could not rule out a link between the Victoria Park incident and one shortly afterwards the same Tuesday night in which three children with matching descriptions, also on scooters, smashed a window of a car in the Cobra Street McDonald's car park, ransacked the vehicle and made off with cash from inside.
Orana Local Area Command Inspector Gemini Bakos urged people to call police if they saw unsupervised children out at night.
"A child is at risk if they are out at night without proper supervision," she said.
"We would be concerned about their welfare and the welfare of others...
"And there is obviously a need to ask why they are out in that area at night doing what they are doing."
