Off-road bikes and motorcycle disorder concerns in South Tyneside

Northumbria Police representatives stressed motorbike antisocial behaviour has remained a key concern with residents and urged anyone with information to come forward to help them tackle the issue.

They added they continue to take action against problem offenders and reported successful actions have been taken from the intelligence they receive.

The comments were made at the latest meeting of West Shields, Cleadon and East Boldon Community Area Forum (CAF) (on Thursday, July 27), where councillors voiced how residents continue to come to them with concerns over the issue.

Councillor Rachael Milne, Biddick and All Saints ward representative, said: “The area left in between West Harton and Boldon Lane, where it’s now become a wider public footpath.

“There’s been concerns from residents saying that people are now racing on motorbikes, two abreast or three abreast, and the speeds are getting really high.

“I’ve been working with officers and looking into whether it’s possible to slow them down, because obviously speed does kill.”

Councillor Shirley Ford, Cleadon and East Boldon representative, also raised concerns over “motorcycle and off-road incidents” in her area, which have led to the knocking over of dry stone walling in the community.

Northumbria Police representatives at the meeting said they have had numerous cases over the past couple of months where action has been taken against problem riders, including seizing the motorcycles, but the issue persists.

They added: “We’re working jointly to conduct home visits with offenders who have been identified through lots of information that we receive both through ourselves and the council. That seems to be working really well.”

Officers stressed although they continue to both visit properties and send letters to households as part of their work, there is also “parental and individual responsibility” in addressing the issue.

They added intelligence and residents reporting what they see is the best way for them to tackle the issue as they cannot pursue off-road motorbikes due to the high risk it would bring to both police and the offenders.

Gary McGuire, from South Tyneside Homes, speaking at the same meeting, stressed housing officers are also working with police to crackdown on the issue.

He said: “Our officers and the area officers have been tasked when they’re out on estates, which they are on a daily basis, to identify where motorbikes are being kept and report that back.

“We’ve also instructed the officers as well if they see bikes on the road being driven dangerously, unregistered, whatever it may be, to flip on that body cam that they’ve got, although not all officers have one.”

People can report incidents of nuisance motorbike riders to police at https://beta.northumbria.police.uk/ as well as by calling 101.