'Every tactic' used to tackle off-road bike issues

Northumbria Police's dedicated motorcycle disorder team had seen some positive results in Sunderland, the council said

Council safety chiefs have stressed they are trying their "very best" and using "every tactic available" to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by off-road bikes.

At the latest meeting of Labour-led Sunderland City Council's scrutiny committee, Conservative councillor Antony Mullen asked what more could be done.

Michelle Coates, community safety manager, said Northumbria Police had a dedicated motorcycle disorder team in place which was getting "some really, really good results" in Sunderland.

She added that with every complaint the council got, the individual received a call back, which has "increased the reporting" as it saw "more trust" from residents.

Conservative group leader Mullen said: "I know it's difficult to report them because by definition, they're on the move, and people get fed up with reporting, saying they've seen one and then nothing happens."

Off-road bikes were on the Sunderland City Council agenda

At the meeting earlier this month, he also asked if there was anything further that could be carried out to help build intelligence and find where people were taking the vehicles, and potentially seize them, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Ms Coates said: "We'll have to keep chipping away at it, we're deploying cameras, we're doing days of action, we are seizing bikes, we are trying every tactic available to us."

Labour councillor Linda Williams said one of the things that often came up in her ward, Washington Central, is residents not reporting issues.

She said: "Sometimes residents are frightened to do so for a range of reasons."

The discussion came as part of a report on the Safer Sunderland Partnership's draft Community Safety Plan for 2025-2029.