Crackdown call on off-road bike ‘terror’
STUART PIKE
CALLS have been made for a crackdown on off-road bikers amid claims they are “terrifying” the public.
Hyndburn Police say it is an increasing menace in parts of the borough, while ex MP Graham Jones has called for tough action on “abusive, reckless riders”.
One Baxenden resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said she had been verbally abused and been on the receiving end of V signs after complaining to riders near the old railway line, known as The Lines.
Referring to a social media video showing one of three riders crashing off his bike, she said: “People were swerving out of the way; people with small children, prams and walking their dogs. They obviously were going really fast - that’s why the last one lost control. When I was walking up from The Lines, there was a woman on her horse. Imagine how bad that would have been had she been down there at the time they were? There could have been a serious accident or even worse a fatality.”
Baxenden councillor Terry Hurn said he has contacted Lancashire County
Council (LCC) about reinstating removed sections of gates to deter riders.
Coun Hurn said: “With the lockdown we have had people out walking and it’s been a very busy place to go. Unfortunately these bikes have been coming along as well. They’ve been able to access it because the gates have been ripped off. We are concerned for the safety of people. When you’ve got different agencies involved it’s about coming to an agreement and it slows it down. It’s very frustrating.”
Mr Jones, who is from Baxenden, said he had also notified LCC about the issue with other residents.
He said: “The response has been very slow indeed and, as people can see from the videos, these bikes travelling at speeds of up to 70mph with abusive reckless riders is terrifying to someone with a toddler or a dog. The police should seize the bikes and crush them and hand out maximum fines to those responsible.”
PCSO Suzanne Liddle said some areas of Hyndburn had seen “an increase in reports of off-road bikes, including mini-motos, quads, dirt bikes and pop bikes”.
She said: “Specific areas including the Railway Lines, Hurstead Street and Back Lane have been reported to us as key areas for this anti-social behaviour. We have been working with our partner agencies such as British Waterways, the Council, Highways and others in a joint operation to tackle this during lockdown. Local officers have been regularly patrolling these hotspots. A number of bikes have been seized under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act, and we have been incredibly grateful for the intel from members of the public.”
Andrew Mullaney, Lancashire County Council’s head of service for environment, said: “We are aware of issues with motorbikes on this stretch of the greenway. The police have powers to confiscate motorbikes that use this path and we will install warning signs about this along the route to deter these illegal riders.
“Anyone who sees motor cyclists using this path should report them to the police straight away so they can take enforcement action.”