Noisy bikers a ‘real pain’
RESIDENTS in a Nottinghamshire village say off-road bikers are becoming a “real pain”.
Police say there have been multiple reports of off-road bikes doing wheelies and loudly riding around in and around Cotgrave, as well as in Screveton and Flintham.
The bikers have been targeting footpaths and areas of private farmland where they do not have permission to ride.
As part of the police crackdown on the anti-social behaviour, officers seized an off-road bike and another person was summonsed to court.
Maureen Bell, 69, of Cotgrave, said: “I hear them quite a lot as they are very noisy. They usually go in the fields but sometimes I’ve seen them on the road. It’s usually at the top end of the village. You hear them throughout the day. I don’t think they are supposed to be on the roads so it’s good police are trying to get on top of it. You have quite a lot of children around here. I’ve seen them doing wheelies as well, which can’t be safe.”
Michael James Robins, who was out walking around the village, said: “They seem to be only doing it on one end of the village. They go round and round in some fields and it’s often on Sunday mornings, which can be quite annoying.
“It’s a real pain. I’ve never really seen police out and about here.”
Derek Roper, 81, said: “I live in a very quiet part of the village. You get some noisy children near me, but it’s nothing too bad – we’re all young once, aren’t we?”
A Rushcliffe Police spokesperson said: “Officers from the force’s off-road team and Rushcliffe South Neighbourhood Policing Team have been on patrol following a large amount of recently reported incidents regarding off-road motorbike offences and anti-social behaviour in and around Cotgrave as well as reports of quad bikes in farmland around Screveton and Flintham.
“While on patrol an off-road motorbike was seized after a male was witnessed on an off-road motorbike on a public highway and another male was reported for summons for trying to obstruct officers. “This incident forms part of an operation being carried out by the local neighbourhood policing team to target off-road motorbikes committing offences and carrying out anti-social behaviour in and around Cotgrave on highways, footpaths and areas of farmland and woodland for which there is no permission for off-road motorbikes to ride on.” They added: “The off-road team and local officers will continue to patrol in the coming weeks to target this issue and the public are encouraged to continue reporting incidents involving motorbikes which are committing offences or participating in anti-social activity by calling 101 or 999.”
I don’t think they are supposed to be on the roads so it’s good police are trying to get on top of it Maureen Bell