Vehicles seized in Northumberland motorcycle disorder crackdown

Officers and partners in Northumberland teamed up last week to carry out a range of targeted activity against motorcycle-related anti-social behaviour.

This latest activity follows the launch of a new campaign late last year called Operation Capio, which sees a bigger push on putting a stop to nuisance riders.

Now, a new pilot taskforce set up to cover the county between Northumberland County Council and Northumbria Police has already brought in some positive results.

During their first week of action between March 4 and March 10, the team were deployed to a range of areas including hotspots in Ashington and Blyth.

They engaged with people in the community about their concerns and deployed a range of tactics including drones to identify any pockets of disorder.

Thanks to their collaborative efforts, they were able to report three people for driving a motor vehicle with no insurance.

The team also seized five motorcycles, two quad bikes and a car with some of the vehicles being suspected as stolen or being used without insurance.

Praising the efforts of those involved, Chief Inspector Colin Lowther of Northumbria Police said: “It’s brilliant to see these promising results at such an early stage in the partnership – as we continue to act on residents’ concerns in the name of Operation Capio.

“We know this is a big area of concern for people in the community – nobody wants this type of anti-social behaviour on their doorstep.

“That’s why, together with our partners, we’ll continue to do everything we can to identify nuisance riders, seize their vehicles and put a stop to any related criminality.”

Ch Insp Lowther added: “As ever, we would continue to ask the public to be our eyes and ears and report any concerns as soon as possible with as much detail as they can.

“That way, we can ensure Northumberland – and the wider region – remains safe and hassle-free for everyone.”

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “Officers in Northumberland are on a mission to cut down motorbike related anti-social behaviour. We know it’s a concern for many local people and we are pulling out all the stops to take tough action. This is why I have invested in a force-wide unit specifically to tackle motorbike disorder, as well as new technologies such as drones to assist police with operations to catch those responsible.

“I’m also funding a campaign with Crimestoppers so people can come forward with any information and report it anonymously. All this work along with Operation Capio and targeted days of action is paying off as these positive results show.

“Motorbike disorder is not only a nuisance but dangerous too and so we must keep doing all we can to stop it.”

Officers have urged people to further assist their enquiries by continuing to share details such as:

• Vehicle registration plate number for offending vehicles
• Time of day and date of incident
• Where the motorcycle was located, and where it was travelling
• Description of riders including how many, clothing worn and helmet or headgear
• Description of the motorcycle(s) involved – including colour, make, model if known – and any other distinctive features

Members of the public can report concerns to Northumbria Police using the ‘Report’ pages of the website, or by calling 101.

In an emergency, or where a crime is taking place, always dial 999.

People can also report information anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their website.