Home secretary slams 'nightmare' off-road bikers

Yvette Cooper said the issue drove communities "up the wall"

The Home Secretary has branded some off-road bikers a "total nightmare" in response to concerns over playing fields being damaged in Staffordshire.

Stoke-on-Trent North MP David Williams raised the issue in the House of Commons on Monday after bikers churned up part of Birchenwood playing fields in Kidsgrove.

The Labour MP said the fields were regularly used by the Kidsgrove Ladsanddads club, with about 400 young people playing football there every weekend.

He said the ground was being "constantly damaged" by bikers and asked Home Secretary Yvette Cooper what steps were being taken to tackle the issue.

Cooper said in response: "Some of these off-road bikes are a total nightmare. They drive communities up the wall. It's harassment."

She said the government was aiming to strengthen police powers, adding that officers currently have to provide repeat warnings before they seize any bikes.

"We think they should be able to seize these anti-social bikes straight away," she added.

Off-road bikers have damaged Birchenwood playing fields on a number of occasions

The latest incident at Birchenwood playing fields was reported by Kidsgrove Ladsanddads in a Facebook post on 6 January.

The group said it had raised the issue with Mr Williams and Staffordshire Police in an attempt to "find a solution to the problem".

"Birchenwood is run by volunteers to give the local children and people a place to play football and be active. The cost of these repairs is crippling the organisation," the group said.

The discussion of the issue in Parliament came as the government prepared to introduce its Crime and Policing Bill.

Ministers hope it will become law by the end of the year, giving police new powers to tackle anti-social behaviour.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.