South Yorkshire call to report off-road bikes nuisance – “it’s really, really dangerous”
A Sheffield councillor who was almost knocked down by an electric bike has called for people to report nuisance incidents to the police.
Coun Ian Horner told the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel yesterday (April 27) that he starts to hear the “Beighton buzz” this time of the year. That means off-road motorbikes and scooters are “on the loose again”, causing problems.
He added: “We’ve got to tackle this – it’s really, really dangerous. I was nearly knocked down on the street by someone on an electric bike.
“You see kids on their bikes doing wheelies down the road. Where are they getting that from – seeing people on bikes doing this.”
He said he had appealed to local people to report any bike nuisance to police.
Kilvinder Vigurs, South Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, replied: “Off-road bikes is the one thing I hear most often from people.
Specific
“There is a pilot scheme starting in Barnsley, linking much more with neighbourhoods. I went to a meeting with police and councillors in a neighbourhood that borders Barnsley and Rotherham.
“We are asking people to dial 101 or go online. We want them to be more specific on what they see.
“We need to know what time, where, what they’re wearing, what sort of bike they are.
“In some areas they’re using drones where they’ve followed the bikes. More specific information is what the police need.”
Crucial
Coun Horner replied that the person who almost knocked him over was clad head to foot in black, with only their eyes visible.
“I do think the crucial information is when you see one of those bikes going into somebody’s house, that’s the information you really need,” he said.
Coun Karl Hughes from Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council said he retired as a neighbourhood team police officer nine years ago. It was the number one issue raised then and remains the same for many people.
He said that off-road bikes then were stolen motocross bikes worth £3,000-4,000 but now e-bikes can be bought online for £300-400.
“There’s a lot of confusion of how illegal they are,” said Coun Hughes. “Once they’re declared illegal we need to be taking them off everyone that owns one.
“There is no place for them and they’re actually making it easier for crime to be committed because they’re so cheap, they’re so easy to get hold of and they are so manoeuvrable.”
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