Police in Thurrock are taking a hard line on nuisance motorcycle usage across the borough. Signs have been erected across the district warning riders of the laws, and if broken, police will take robust action.
The initiative set up by Sgt John Gray, supported by Chadwell St Mary councillor Gerard Rice and the Chadwell Forum, will send out a tough message to those breaking the law. It is illegal to ride an unauthorised motorised vehicle in a public area.
A motorised vehicle needs to have insurance to be in any public place. It does not matter if it is being ridden or pushed. Police officers can seize a motorised vehicle if it is in a public place without insurance or a driving licence.
Alan Twine, crime reduction officer for Thurrock said: “Many parents are unaware that it is illegal to ride unregistered off-road motorcycles, mini-motos or quad bikes, unless on private land with written permission from the land owner.
“Riders who contravene these regulations can be prosecuted, fined and the vehicle seized by the police and possibly crushed”.
If riders do not have a driving licence or are too young, a driver number will created and penalty points added to it when a licence is acquired.
Not only is it illegal to ride unauthorised motorcycles it is also dangerous, only earlier this month a young man died as a result of an off–road motor cycling crash in Stanford le Hope.
Chairman of the Chadwell Forum, Peter Saunders, was keen to support the initiative as much distress and annoyance has been caused to local residents. He said: “The forum and residents are pleased to see the installation of the signs.
“We hope this gives out the message to illegal riders that their presence and the harassment they cause will not be tolerated any longer.”
Thurrock really need to give the kids somewhere to go and ride… this has been a BIG problem since i was a kid 80s/90s! We had the chafford site in those days when it was being prepared for development so was lucky in a way.. wasnt official, however! Its all well and good clamping down and enforcing the law but without offering an official supervised location as an alternative we can hardly blame the kids for riding all over thurrock!
Agree with mjmac. Its all well and good posting up all these signs and coming down with all the force of the law with these guys (and it’s true I don’t want my dog run over at Blackshots) but what about establishing a “safe” place for riders. When I was growing up in the early 80’s I practically lived over the “Pits”, where Lakeside and Chafford 100 now is, on my BMX bike with my mates all Summer long. Motorbikes also used to use them and it was a great spot for riders.
Don’t get me started on the urban nightmare that is Chafford 100 – I loved that place growing up, it was a real adventure area for an impressionable teenager, we’d BMX, go exploring in the “tunnels” – if you don’t know where they are I’m not telling ! (and yes they’re still there!) and have an active, healthy great time. What do the 100’s of kids of C100 have now ? There are hardly any green space areas, just monotonous depressing rabbit-hutch style houses crammed on every piece of land and their entertainment is limited to hanging out at Burger King in that bastion of consumerism, the Emerald City of Lakeside. And everyone wonders why kids are getting overweight and obese…Go Figure !