A FEW weeks ago, our sister paper, www.yourharlow.com, highlighted the problems of off road bikers in Harlow.
A local councillor (Ian Beckett) took up the challenge and told the paper that he was confident that if Harlow Council and Essex Police put their heads together, they could get a little closer to a solution.
Last week, they announced an injunction.
"ESSEX Police have received 121 calls about motorbikes, quad bikes, pit bikes and mopeds being ridden illegally or in an antisocial manner in Harlow between March 18 and May 18. This compares to 74 during the same time last year.
Under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002, they cannot be ridden on common land, moorland, land which is not part of the road, a footpath, bridleway, restricted byway or private land without the owner’s permission.
Anyone caught flouting the law will receive a warning but any subsequent offences will mean their machines will automatically be seized or crushed. Riders could also face heavy fines for anti-social riding".
All over Harlow, there are white paper injunctions dotted across the town, so that the bikers are under no illusion what will happen.
So, this begs a question as to why the police in Thurrock and Thurrock Council have not done the same?
We understand that they have been a blight in Chadwell and East Tilbury, to name just two areas.
We will be asking more questions during the week.
