Nuisance bikers causing misery for residents
THERE ARE ‘TOO MANY NEAR MISSES’
MOTORCYCLES being ridden dangerously in residential areas of Grimsby and Cleethorpes are causing misery for people who live there. Residents have claimed dangerous driving by nuisance bikers is causing too many near misses with one woman even spending time in hospital after being hurt by a rider driving irresponsibly.
It comes after a young couple had to jump to safety when a speeding biker rode along the pavement at Cleethorpes seafront pulling wheelies.
The shocking incident was caught on dashcam footage showing the biker, on a motocross motorcycle with no licence plate, speeding along the pavement on Kingsway on Sunday afternoon. The biker and a pal could be seen joining the road from near the Cleethorpes pier - passing dangerously close to a seated Covid marshal - before speeding behind cars.
He then mounts the pavement and speeds along the pavement just as a young couple are walking ahead of him. The young man can be seen turning as he hears the bike approaching moments before it passes with just inches to spare.
Following this near miss, other people have spoken of near misses and antisocial behaviour incidents caused by illegal bikers.
The problem reaches across the area, including New Waltham, Nunsthorpe and The Willows as well as the Fitties, along the North Sea Wall, Park Drive, Freeman Street, Grimsby Road and Cromwell Road areas.
Ann Smart said she was knocked over by an illegal biker who was prosecuted at court.
She said: “They checked my injuries and told me to go to hospital. “Even now every day they can be heard around the estate revving up. The police still haven’t stopped it all.” Lorraine Revell said she was involved in a near miss.
She said: “They were driving up Woolaston Road the wrong way at about 6pm last night [Saturday] - we nearly hit them!
“We thought they were being chased because they were going so fast.” Others say such incidents happen on Grimsby’s estates all the time. Steven Mills said: “[it’s been] happening on The Willows for decades, nothing will change.”
While Nunsthorpe resident Peter Pickerton said: “There’s a bunch of these clowns on The Nunsthorpe literally time and time again.”
One Cleethorpes resident added: “We often see riders like these around our area of Fiveways in Cleethorpes. They are a brainless, care-not group who know they will not be stopped. Humberside Police are attempting to tackle the issue through Operation Yellowfin.
The initiative is aiming for a crackdown on bike related crime and to educate the public on how to keep their own bikes safe.
In February, the force introduced a special DNA spray to help identify nuisance bikers. The spray marks the bikes with a unique DNA code and UV marker that is only visible under UV light.
Inspector Martin Hopper, leading Operation Yellowfin in North East Lincolnshire, said: “This is another really good example of work we are doing to reduce the number of motorbikes, mopeds and quad bikes ridden unlawfully in our area.”