Anti-social motorbike riding targeted in Bristol and Bath

The operation focused on hotspots for crime and anti-social behaviour involving two-wheeled vehicles

An operation targeting crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) involving motorbikes and mopeds has led to 28 arrests, police have said.

Avon and Somerset Police it was launched after rises in vehicle thefts, dangerous driving and threatening behaviour in Bristol and Bath.

There was a 35% drop in reported ASB involving bikes and 27 stolen motorbikes were recovered.

Several cases are under investigation or going through the court system.

The operation focused on identifying hotpots for crime and ASB involving two-wheeled vehicles such as motorbikes, mopeds and electric bicycles.

Specialist resources such as drones and the National Police Air Service were used.

As well as criminal charges, police are also using various powers such as ASB laws to impose restrictions on behaviour.

The operation resulted in 17 people being given Community Protection Warnings (CPWs), including one who was handed a Community Protection Notice for breaching the conditions in the CPW.

Three Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) have been issued by courts.

A 20-year-old was dealt with after stealing a motorbike in the Glencoyne Square area of Southmead

Harvey Mitchell, 20, of Staple Hill, has been given a five-year CBO, a community sentence and an eight-month driving ban after admitting offences including taking a motorbike without consent in Glencoyne Square, Bristol, on or around 23 August and driving it without insurance.

The CBO requirements include not being in possession of a two-wheeled vehicle in a public place and not wearing a balaclava in public.

A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who has been released on conditional bail pending a sentencing hearing in December, has been handed a CBO with similar requirements after admitting offences including possessing an offensive weapon and two counts of theft of a motor vehicle.

Two teenage boys charged in connection with the attempted theft of a motorcycle in Berkeley Square, Bristol, on 23 October are due in court on 22 November.

One, aged 17, has admitted offences including aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving on Derham Road, Bristol on 26 October.

The other, aged 16, has admitted offences including driving a motor vehicle taken without the owner's consent on Berkeley Square, Bristol, on 23 October. He has also been handed an interim CBO.

Breaching a CBO is a criminal offence and can result in up to five years in prison.

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