A motorbike was seized by police this month after reports of antisocial riding around a Brighton estate.
Neighbourhood police were tipped off about people tearing around Denman Place in Coldean on 2 April.
Two days later, on Easter Saturday, PCSO Charlie MacSorley and other officers from the Stanmer neighbourhood policing team went and patrolled there.
A spokeswoman for Brighton Police said: “We’ll continue to monitor the area and take action where needed. If you witness any incidents, please keep reporting them to us. Your information helps us act quickly.”
No arrests were made.
Issues with off road bikes were made a priority for the neighbourhood policing team last September.
Now the police have just got to stop the illegal riding of E scooters, bicycles being ridden on the pavement and cyclists without lights at night time…..
I think a big part of that comes to accountability through identification. Number plates, quintessentially. I was reading one of the feedback items, which said it should be implemented in the upcoming e-scooter trial. If it works on them, I think that would strengthen the argument to have ID on a cycle as well.
From what age would you require a person to carry ID to ride a cycle, what ID is permissible, and would you apply the same criteria to skateboards, mobility scooters and hamsters on sail-powered roller bladers?
As in, a number plate, or other recognition system, on the bike itself. Cycles are faster than all of those other forms of transport, including e-scooters. They also have a lot of data behind cyclists breaking the laws of the road, with a very poor enforcement rate. I can’t recall the last time a hamster resulted in an incident along Kingsway, lol!
The reduction in dedicated, legal off-road facilities is a major factor driving the rise in illegal street riding, according to industry observers, riders, and community stakeholders. The closure of traditional riding spots means riders, particularly young people, often have nowhere nearby to practice their sport, leading to a “ripple effect” where they use public spaces instead.
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This issue involves several interconnected factors:
Disappearing Tracks: Motocross tracks and off-road areas are closing at an alarming rate across Europe and North America, with many historic venues lost to redevelopment, noise complaints, or land use restrictions.
YouTube
YouTube
“Nowhere Else to Go”: With legal sites vanishing, many riders are forced to use green spaces, parks, and, ultimately, public roads. This is compounded by a lack of access for riders without transport to travel to distant, remaining tracks.
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Facebook
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A “Subculture” of Urban Riding: The lack of facilities has contributed to a culture where riders, sometimes in masks, ride on streets and in public parks.
Newcastle City Council
Newcastle City Council
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Lack of Alternatives: While some organized clubs exist, the loss of local “open” areas (like quarries or fields) has created a vacuum that is being filled by illegal, anti-social use.
Manchester City Council Housing Services
Manchester City Council Housing Services
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Community Impact and Safety Risks
The illegal, urban use of off-road bikes causes significant anti-social behavior (ASB) and safety concerns, including:
Noise and Danger: High-speed riding in residential areas, on pavements, and in parks, creating risks for pedestrians and residents.
Dangerous Riding: Reports of riding without helmets, performing wheelies on public roads, and intimidating pedestrians.
Police Operations: Police forces are increasingly using special operations (e.g., using drones, drones, and undercover patrols) to seize and destroy bikes being used illegally.
The House of Commons Library
The House of Commons Library
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While some point to the lack of legal, safe places to ride as a primary reason for the increase in street riding, authorities maintain that illegal riding is a serious issue that warrants increased policing and vehicle seizures to protect the public.
Maybe remove the source list before blindly copying from an LLM