Police have seized motorbikes after residents complained about anti-social riders in York – some under age.
Nuisance motorcycles are being impounded and illegal riders tracked down and taken to court under a new North Yorkshire Police operation.
Local neighbourhood policing teams have joined forces with roads policing officers to identify illegal and nuisance riders and get them off the road.
They are using off-road police motorbikes -which are new to the force – marked and unmarked vehicles and local intelligence to catch perpetrators.
Illegally-ridden or unroadworthy motor scooters, mopeds, quads and off-road bikes are being confiscated and riders sent to court.
Underage riders
Officers are targeting areas where there have been a number of complaints about antisocial riding, sometimes by underage riders. These currently include Clifton, Fulford and Heworth.
York North PCSO Harl Pattison is working on Operation Confiscate. He said:
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This operation is aimed at dealing proactively with anyone riding in an antisocial manner.
We’ll be carrying out various stop checks. This is a warning that if your vehicle or documentation is not in order, now is the time to rectify it, and we are encouraging all riders to ride in a responsible and legal manner.
Local officers have issued a number of section 59 warnings that work like a yellow and red card.
The first is a warning and if you are issued a second, police have the power to seize your vehicle which you’ll need to recover from an impound at a cost.
Driving dangerously
Police are being supported by partner agencies such as the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency who can carry out roadside checks and make sure the vehicles are roadworthy.
If not, prohibition notices to remove the vehicle from the road can be issued.
Just some of the results so far include:
- One rider reported to appear at court for taking a vehicle without consent, riding without insurance and issued with a section 59. The bike he was riding was seized
- One rider reported for driving without insurance, driving in a dangerous manner and driving without a licence
- One rider’s bike was seized and she was reported for driving without insurance or an MOT
- One unlicensed rider’s bike was seized. It was not MOT’d or insured
- A number of riders given section 59 warnings for antisocial riding.
Residents are urged to help police crack down on nuisance riders by reporting offences on 101 or by emailing [email protected]
If possible, please take details of the registration, make or model, colour or a description of the rider or the helmet they are wearing. Information will be passed on to North Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Group so offenders can be tracked down and dealt with.