Telford police crackdown on off-road riders hailed a success
A police crackdown on illegal, off-road vehicles in Telford is seeing a decrease in the amount of antisocial riding.
Officers from local Safer Neighbourhood Teams were out in force again with Telford & Wrekin Council last weekend in Rough Park, Halesfield and Brookside.
They carried out patrols to spot people driving illegal off road vehicles, with one uninsured biker having his motorbike seized.
West Mercia Police says the weekend activities saw significantly fewer offenders than previous operations, showing that the police’s attempts to combat the issue have been successful.
The operations follow concerns raised by the community. Locals say they are being put of going out and walking their dogs in the area and using the parks as a result of the antisocial off-road bikers. It has also had an adverse effect on the local wildlife, they say.
Telford Sergeant Richard Jones said: “I am really pleased to see that our continued presence in the area has had a positive effect. We’ve been carrying out these operations on a regular basis and it would appear the message is finally sinking in.
Nuisance
“I hope this will mean that going forward people can enjoy the parks and open space with their friends and family. In addition hopefully off-roaders will use the designated areas for their activities on properly insured vehicles.
“Antisocial and illegal off road driving causes a nuisance to the residents nearby, other park users and disrupts the wildlife in the area. Therefore I am really glad we can call the weekend’s operation a success.”
Councillor Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for enforcement, said: “By being out and about, our officers were not only able to tackle any issues they found, but were also able to reassure people. Our visible presence deters anti social behaviour and, by speaking to residents, gives them the confidence to report them.
“We are committed to supporting the police in tackling these ongoing issues. We are working very closely with them to provide more eyes and ears on the ground to deter riders and prevent such dangerous driving. This will include using out new CCTV mobile cameras, with targeted patrols carried out by our Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers and Anti-Social Behaviour Team.”
