Sheffield councillor brands neighbourhood “a theme park for nutters on bikes”
“We spend a lot of time as councillors getting Amey to clear the paths for people to walk down them. We don’t do that so idiots can take their motorbikes, e-scooters, whatever down them.”
An irate Sheffield councillor has described his ward as being “a theme park for nutters on bikes” during the recent spell of good weather.
Sheffield Liberal Democrat councillor Ian Horner, who represents Beighton, said he was “struggling to keep to the code of conduct” as he shared his frustrations over the issue.
“We just have to tackle this issue. It’s becoming endemic. I’m amazed we’re not getting loads of deaths out of this,” he said in a meeting of the South Yorkshire Police & Crime Panel on July 20, 2026.
“It isn’t confined to young people. I spoke to a constituent yesterday afternoon. He that when walking down a path they were confronted by somebody… who had a two-to-three-year-old child sat on the handlebars of a bike and thought it was funny.”
Kilvinder Vigurs, deputy mayor of South Yorkshire for policing and crime, told Coun Horner that she “can only concur” with him.
“It’s everywhere, it’s happening across the country. I can assure you South Yorkshire Police are doing their best,” she said.
Ms Vigurs described it as a “societal issue,” adding: “If you’ve got a parent putting a child on the front of a bike, they’ve obviously got no regard for that child’s welfare.”
Coun Horner informed the panel that his ward was a particular hotspot for vehicle-related anti-social behaviour, especially centred on bicycles and off-road motorbikes.
He said: “We spend a lot of time as councillors getting Amey to clear the paths for people to walk down them. We don’t do that so idiots can take their motorbikes, e-scooters, whatever down them.”
The panel heard how vehicle-related anti-social behaviour had increased significantly in summer months, in line with seasonal trends, but the record level was higher than in years prior.
Other councillors in attendance, including Coun Martin Bancroft and Coun Terry Durkin of Reform UK Barnsley, also expressed frustration with what they perceived to be a lack of action from police when faced with off-road bike issues.
Ms Vigurs and her team told panel members there would be future, in-depth discussions on the subject to inform them what South Yorkshire Police “will be doing in this space”.