The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Praise for effort to curb illegal bikers
Acrackdown on nuisance bikers in Levenmouth has led to a 76% cut in calls to police. Officers seized 38 vehicles in the six months to October and charged 306 people with anti-social behaviour and road traffic offences.
They issued a further 20 anti-social behaviour warnings regarding motorbike use during the same period.
Two dedicated police officers have been based in Levenmouth since January 2019, as part of the approach to tackling the scourge of illegal biking.
It followed fears pedestrians could be killed as unlicensed riders used pavements, golf courses and even Leven beach.
The undercover officers work closely with Fife Council, community groups and Kingdom Off- Road Motorcycle Club.
The fire service also became involved following a huge increase in the number of deliberate fires.
General waste and wheelie bins were the most common targets, but Silver burn House and Brannigan’s Hotel were both destroyed by blazes believed to have been started deliberately.
The initiative is promoted on social media under the brand Improving Levenmouth Together.
Councillors have hailed the results after calls about bikers fell from 891 between April and October 2018, to 217 during the same six months this year.
Deliberate fire- setting incidents also reduced, from 157 to 89.
Labour councillor Colin Davidson said the next stage is to provide more activities for young people in a bid to prevent antisocial behaviour.
“The enforcement side of it has been successful but we need to look for a longterm solution,” he said.
“We will now look at prevention. If we can find an alternative to running about on motorbikes then it’s a win-win.”
Refurbishing L even’s putting green and lighting the skate park to allow evening use are among the projects being looked at.
“We’ve got to get these kids engaged,” said Mr Davidson.
“We won’ t just keep catching them and punishing them.
“We’ ll work with them and find out why they’re doing it.”
SNP councillor John O’Brien said communities were seeing the results of the initiative.
“The two police officers are fantastic,” he said.
“They took it by the teeth and tackled it head on and it ’s made a big difference.”