The long arm of the law will now be able to stretch deeper into the East Surrey countryside thanks to funding for an off-road motorbike pilot project.

For the Buckland Estate, the Surrey Hills Board, Surrey County Council and the Mole Valley Safer Partnership are among the groups and bodies who have backed the fight against rural crime with funding for a trail-blazing police scheme.

They answered the call from three Surrey Police Mole Valley officers who decided they needed trail bikes to be able to police the countryside off-road.

With the backing of Chief Superintendent Gavin Stevens, who has responsibility for neighbourhood policing across Surrey, the three officers, who are all keen motorcyclists when off duty, set out to secure funding for the bikes themselves.

But capturing the imagination of the Surrey Hills Board, the Buckland Estate and others including parish and district councils, the officers rallied funding support, and, with help from Dorking motorcycle shop Azcari Adventure Centre, two new trail bikes have now been added to the Mole Valley fleet.

They are the only off-road bikes in the Surrey Police Force, and the service is a first for the county.

The officers - PC Mark Trezise, PC Jason Woods and PC Dominic Loraine - are part of the Surrey Hills Board Mountain Biking and Off-Road Working Groups, which are trying to reduce illegal activities in the countryside.

The three will now take part in a six-month trial using the bikes to patrol byways, bridleways and some footpaths more effectively.

It is hoped the bikes will lead to a reduction in anti-social behaviour and rural crime, such as poaching and thefts from vehicles at beauty spots.

Chief Supt Stevens praised the enthusiasm and initiative of the Mole Valley Neighbourhood Policing Team, saying: “I knew this project would be successful as it had a real groundswell of support from the team and community members.

“It has been a collective effort that has made this possible.”

He said: “The bikes look fantastic, but more importantly, it will provide a policing service to this area we have never been able to do in the past.”

The introduction of the motorbikes to the Mole Valley team will enable the officers to effectively police areas that have traditionally been difficult to access either by car or foot, such as byways, bridleways and footpaths.

The officers will be able to deal with offences such as anti-social behaviour, inconsiderate driving and criminal damage more easily, while also providing support to tackle rural crimes such as poaching and thefts from vehicles at local beauty spots.

Neighbourhood Inspector Terri Poulton said: “Whilst rural crime is never off of our agenda, it is notoriously challenging to police the diverse incidents and crimes that occur within some communities.”

Insp Poulton said: “In order to get out and about, the team often need to use vehicles, as some villages are quite a distance from our policing posts.

“I know this sometimes leaves areas feeling 'un-policed.' We are determined to address that and continue to find new ways to meet the obstacles thrown our way.”