Police told to lose their fear of chasing gangs on mopeds

POLICE drivers will be given the green light to pursue moped gangs even if suspects are not wearing helmets, under proposed changes to the law.

Confusion over current rules of pursuit means many officers are reluctant to give chase to criminals in case they are held responsible if they crash. Moped gangs have become emboldened, believing they can make an easy getaway just by removing their helmets.

But the Home Office has said it wants to “smash the myth” and give officers the confidence to give chase, knowing they will not be held responsible for the actions of the criminal. Nick Hurd, the minister for policing, said: “Police officers must have the confidence to pursue suspects where it is safe to do so and criminals should be in no doubt that they will not get away with a crime by simply driving recklessly.”

There has been a staggering rise in moped crime in recent years with the Metropolitan Police recording more than 16,000 offences.

Last week, two teenagers were found guilty of murdering a charity worker during a four-hour moped crime spree. Nathan Gilmaney, 18, and Troy Thomas, 18, toured the streets of west London looking for targets before carrying out knifepoint robberies and attacks.