City police to step up drive over quad bike menace

A POLICE inspector has told councillors that more work will be done to try to identify people who make neighbours’ lives a misery with anti-social quad bike use.

Inspector Andy Thornton was speaking to councillors in Bradford about the issue.

He said two wards in the Bradford South constituency, Royds and Tong, had some of the highest numbers of anti-social riding reports in West Yorkshire.

And members heard that police would soon reach out to communities in an attempt to identify the offenders and find out where they are keeping their vehicles.

Community safety officer Michael Churley said: “Bradford South is an area where teams are trying to do a bit more work. It is one of the areas of the district where we get the most complaints.

“We have to look at how we engage with communities a bit better and get them to come forward with information a bit more.”

Insp Thornton said it was difficult for police to respond to calls fast enough to catch the riders, and so action needed to look at where bikes are stored and find out who the riders are.

He told members that antisocial riders had a “disregard for their own safety and the safety of others” and this meant that police responding to calls often chose not to begin dangerous chases, especially in residential areas.

He said he “appreciated the frustration” people had with police when it seemed they were not acting.

But he told members that Operation Steerside had made vehicle seizures and arrests. A new strategy involving police and Bradford Council would be rolled out soon to give people more information about how they can help tackle anti-social riding.