In a leaked letter, Michael Meacher also appeared to suggest he'd looked at the possibility of local authorities banning motorbikes from certain roads.

Government officials say the letter has been misunderstood, and shouldn't be seen as a criticism of all motorcyclists.

In his letter to chief police officers, Mr Meacher reportedly said local authorities had the power to ban certain types of vehicle from special areas of the countryside.

He added they probably wouldn't be able to defend a ban on motorbikes, so it falls to police to deal with the problem through speeding laws.

Users of the www.motorcyclenews.com website have suggested staging a series of go-slow protests in several cities on March 13. More than 1,000 bikers have already registered their support.

A spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "There is no intention whatsoever of banning motorcyclists from the countryside, and police have not been asked to harass motorcyclists.

"Michael Meacher's letter was sent in response to specific complaints of some motorcyclists acting irresponsibly by using roads in National Parks or Areas of Outstanding National Beauty to drive their bikes at excessive speeds."

A spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers told Ananova: "We've written back to Mr Meacher, saying it is a matter for individual forces and we're not looking for any more powers."

Story filed: 19:19 Tuesday 19th February 2002