Keep off-road bikes off Christmas lists, parents urged

Off-road bikes, quad bikes and e-scooters are not safe Christmas presents and could lead to financial loss, serious injury and worse.

That’s the focus of a new campaign in the run-up to Christmas to protect young people and keep dangerous machines off roads, footpaths and pavements.

Cleveland Police and Middlesbrough Council are reminding people of the law and the dangers of using off-road motorbikes, quad bikes and electric scooters. 

Unlicensed and unregistered bikes put riders and pedestrians in danger and are used in drug dealing and organised crime.

Cleveland Police received 4,968 calls about nuisance bikes, and has seized 547, between January and the end of October this year.

Anyone looking to buy a motorcycle, mini moto or quad bike is reminded they are classed as vehicles which require road tax, insurance, a registration plate and possibly a valid MOT. 

Those riding them need to have the appropriate driving licence and safety equipment, while parents or carers allowing them to be ridden by children could also be liable for prosecution. 

E-scooters, off-road bikes and quads can only be ridden on private land and not on public or any green belt land within Middlesbrough.

Those who live in social housing could also face tenancy action if bikes are seized from their property.

In one instance this year, a Neighbourhood Officer from Middlesbrough Council was on patrol with police when a large off-road motorbike was seen being ridden along Spencerfield Crescent in Thorntree.  

When officers stopped the bike they found it was being ridden by a 12-year-old youth with a nine-year-old on the rear, with neither wearing a helmet.

The motorbike was seized, and when the rider’s parent was subsequently told it would be crushed, she said: “Well that’s a waste of £700.”

Sergeant Mark Kewley, from Cleveland Police’s Matrix Team and Chair of Cleveland Casualty Reduction Partnership, said: “Traffic laws are designed to help protect people, and whilst gifts such as e-scooters, quad bikes and other off-road bikes can seem like great fun, they are not toys and can be dangerous and cause serious harm if ridden irresponsibly. 
 
“Whilst some people may want to buy them as Christmas presents, we want to make people aware of the laws in place and ensure that people comply with them, otherwise they could risk having them seized and ending up with fines and penalty points. 
 
“We’re simply asking people to think before they buy these items and make sure they know the laws in place to help keep everyone safe.”

Councillor Janet Thompson, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive member for Neighbourhoods, said: “These bikes are a nuisance all year round and there’s a very real danger of someone being seriously injured or even killed.

“We’ve done a lot of work to deter them but we still need the public to work with us stamp out this potentially lethal form of antisocial behaviour.”

For further information on the laws around these vehicles, go to www.cleveland.police.uk 

Anyone with information regarding off-road bikes, where they are being stored or anyone using them illegally can call Cleveland Police on 101 or visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org. 

For further information on the laws around E-scooters, please see this link:
E Scooters Flyer.pdf 
 
Video footage and images can be shared via the COPA app.

Middlesbrough’s street wardens service can be contacted between 8am and 8pm, on 01642 228500, or email [email protected].