Crackdown on motorcycle disorder in Northumberland towns

A pilot taskforce covered the county between March 4 and March 10 visiting a range of areas, including hotspots in Ashington and Blyth, to listen to people’s concerns and deploy a range of tactics to identify disorder.

Three people were reported for driving a motor vehicle with no insurance and vehicles were seized including five motorcycles, two quad bikes and a car. Some were suspected as stolen.

This activity follows the launch of the 2023 campaign ‘Operation Capio’.

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.

“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.

“We’ll continue to do everything we can to identify nuisance riders, seize their vehicles and put a stop to any related criminality.”

Northumbria Police and crime commissioner, Kim McGuinness, invested in a force-wide unit and new technologies to tackle motorbike disorder and assist police. She is also funding a campaign with Crimestoppers to allow people to come forward with information and report it anonymously.

Kim said: “We know it’s a concern for many local people and we are pulling out all the stops to take tough action.

“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.