End this plague

RESIDENTS whose lives are plagued by youngsters riding mini-moto bikes are being urged to call the 101 telephone number to report the problem.

The motorised bikes - mini replicas of full size motorcycles - are often ridden illegally in public places, roads and footpaths, causing a nuisance to locals. They have also been involved in a number of accidents.

Sheffield Council and South Yorkshire Police, who run the Home Office-funded 101 telephone number aimed at diverting non-urgent calls from the 999 system, are keen for people to ring 101 to report such nuisance behaviour.

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Police have the right to seize vehicles used unlawfully off-road and owners can be fined.

Offenders can also end up having their bikes crushed if they have previously been warned about riding them illegally.

Jacqueline Bland, the 101 Partnership project manager, said: “Mini-motorbikes are not toys. They are classed as motor vehicles under the law and we strongly recommend that people know the law before they consider buying one.

“During the past year we have had many calls from residents complaining about the nuisance of people riding these vehicles in the street, back lanes and in public places such as parks and playing fields.

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“We want to remind people that they can rid themselves of this menace by calling 101 and reporting offenders to us in confidence. We can then pass those details on to the police who can deal with the problem accordingly.”

The 101 number was set up to handle calls about vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property, noisy neighbours, intimidation and harassment, abandoned vehicles, rubbish and litter problems, drunken or rowdy behaviour, drug-related anti-social behaviour and broken street lighting.