Nuisance Off-Road Bikes and E-scooters Plague Southport Recreation Grounds

Over the last couple of weeks, a number of reports have come in to the police regarding nuisance use of off road motorbikes and E scooters on Crossens Recreation Ground, and the roads surrounding it and over on Ferryside Lane Recreation Ground, in Southport. Many of the reports have been made anonymously or have not had any contact numbers for us to get back to people. Today I have manged to contact two people who made reports to us.

Yesterday (Saturday6th June) we were out, actively patrolling the area, to try and find the bikes and people involved, when we were flagged down by a driver on Rufford Road, who told us there was a group of boys with an off road motorbike on the corner of Rufford Road/North Road.

On seeing us, the youth riding the off road bike took off at speed along the pavement of North Road, straight across the junction with Ribble Avenue and carried on towards Roselea Drive direction. He was not pursued. Shortly after this, another driver stopped to tell us that this youth had almost crashed the bike, further down North Road.

We managed to stop one of the four boys, who turned out to be local to the area. I spoke to his father on the phone and later visited the address with the intention of speaking with him, to ensure the danger the boys pose by using motorcycles in this manner in the area is fully understood. I ended up having to leave a letter.

The youth who took off on the bike drove dangerously along the pavement and out into the road. He had no helmet on. The bike had no registration plate, meaning it was not taxed, not MOT'd to be safe on the road, and not insured. And the age of the youth means he will not have a driving licence either.

We are continuing to actively patrol to locate where these bikes are being stored and who is using them. I have requested further assistance to achieve this.

If you have information that can help with this, please either dial 101 and make a report, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and make an anonymous report or email us at:

B.Neighbourhood.Hub.2@merseyside.police.uk

Please continue to report any similar incidents via 101 0r 999 in an emergency.