BMX riders who use the Decoy dirt jump area – next the Decoy BMX Club track – were outraged to find it shut on Wednesday.
Teignbridge Council closed the facility after the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents found it unsafe.
On Wednesday, police were called to clear riders from the dirt jump while fences were put up to keep users out.
The dirt jumps, which are used by hundreds of children and adults, have been open for 10 years.
Riders come from throughout the country to use the facility.
Professional BMX rider Kye Forte, from Kingsteignton, has been heavily involved in building and maintaining the dirt jumps from the beginning. He is angered that it has been closed.
'I feel gutted. I have spent so many hours down at the jumps. It is what I do. I come down here everyday to ride and train,' said Mr Forte.
'I think people don't accept BMX riding as a sport, but they have to realise that not everyone likes rugby and football. A lot of people now like extreme sports and that's the way the trend is going.'
Mr Forte, 23 who has been BMX riding since he was five years old, was awarded Teignbridge Sports Personality of the Year in the past.
'I can't believe the council can give me an award, then close the facility which helped me get that very award,' he said.
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He has been a professional rider for five years winning the National Adventure Sports Competition, Sprite Urban Games Competition and the Red Bull Three Degrees Competition. He also attended the X Games in Lose Angeles, USA.
He strongly believes the dirt jumps should be reopened.
'They should let us carry on as we are. They are trying to say it is not safe, but they don't know anything about the sport. We wear helmets and we all train and learn how to ride properly and safely.'
If the jumps remain closed he said he will have to use other dirt jumps.
'If they are closed for good, I'll have to move out of Devon. I'll have to, I'll have no choice,' he said.
He also said local bike businesses would be effected if the jumps stay shut permanently.
'We all buy our clothes from these businesses and our bike bits, so they will suffer too,' he added.
Sarah Pullen, the secretary of the Decoy BMX Club also commented on the closure of the dirt jumps.
She said while they do not run the adjoining dirt jumps, they did not want them to go.
'It is packed down there most weekends and with it being half-term this week the kids will not be very happy at all.
'Everyone is trying to keep kids off the street and here they are putting them back on the streets,' she said.
Miss Pullen said while they didn't run the dirt jumps they did keep them tidy and said the lads collect dropped litter from the area.
She added that the club had not been informed that it was closing and it did not look good fencing the area off, when the BMX club was staging a big South West Regional meeting this weekend with riders coming from far and wide.
Peter Jackson, exchairman of Decoy Bike Club was at the dirt jumps were cornered off.
'I am very disappointed it has shut with no notification. My feeling is that the kids deserve somewhere to go, and at the track and jumps we have a lot of people here who compete at top level.
'This is where a lot of the professionals practise. If they take this away the riders will end up back on the streets. It will drive them underground, they won't stop it.'
A Teignbridge spokesman said: 'Teignbridge Council has a legal duty to ensure all its open spaces meet health and safety guidelines. Unfortunately, we had no choice but to temporarily close the jump are of the BMX facility in Newton Abbot on Wednesday. The action was taken to reflect findings by ROSPA that that particular area does not meet current health and safety regulations and therefore represents an ongoing risk to all its users. We do appreciate that this will be a disappointment to those who enjoy the facility, but would make every effort to progress the situation quickly and effectively.'
The district authority will receive a full report about the dirt jumps from ROSPA next week.





