Warning for snappers over biker action shots

Hundreds of motorcyclists were turning up on some sunny days to try to be photographed racing, West Mercia Police said (generic image)

Three photographers who police say encouraged motorcyclists to come to a beauty spot so they could get "action shots" have been told to stay away for a year.

The trio were advertising on social media pages to say when they would be on roadside verges at Fish Hill on the A44, near Evesham, Worcestershire, West Mercia Police said.

Their adverts would say they would take photos of bikers racing up the hill and led to hundreds of riders turning up "especially on sunny days", a force spokesperson said.

The photographers have been sent community protection warnings telling them not to come to the area to take pictures of vehicles for 12 months.

Some of the riders were speeding, overtaking dangerously or pulling wheelies, with some even taking the registration plates off their bikes, Insp Dave Wise said.

"These adverts can attract hundreds of bikers to Fish Hill in just one day," he added.

"The speeds are a danger to the riders and the public and the associated noise heard throughout the village with the sound of racing bikes can make it unbearable for local residents."

The photographers were advertising that they would take photos of bikers racing up Fish Hill, police said

There were 13 crashes on Fish Hill between January 2020 and April this year, the spokesperson said, with eight people seriously hurt.

The community protection warnings can be escalated to formal action if people don't comply, they added.