Teesside MP wants new powers to tackle 'plague' of off-road bikes

Off-road bikes that are seized by police can end up in a crusher

An MP has called for new powers to clamp down on "balaclava-clad, feral teenagers" causing fear in communities.

Matt Vickers, Conservative MP for Stockton South, told a parliamentary debate there was an "absolute plague" of youths on off-road motorbikes.

He said the government must look at regulation and licensing so police could seize the vehicles more easily.

Chris Philp, crime, policing and fire minister, said an anti-social behaviour action plan would address such issues.

Mr Vickers described the Fairfield area of his constituency as resembling "a racetrack" where "there is little care for anyone who gets in the way".

He also told of an elderly couple who were forced to listen to "the roar of the bikes" on a field behind their home most evenings.

Speaking at Westminster Hall, he called on the government to "get a grip" on this growing issue which saw "balaclava-clad feral teenagers" driving down residential streets each weekend "creating fear and havoc, with no regard for the lives of people around them".

There have been a number of complaints about illegal quad bike riding on Teesside

Cleveland Police have been using drones to target and seize off-road bikes.

In April and May the force seized 180 bikes as part of an ongoing operation called Endurance, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The government announced an anti-social behaviour crackdown in March with hotspot patrols and "immediate justice" dealt out to perpetrators within 48 hours, such as street cleaning or graffiti removal.

Mr Philp vowed that the government would look at registration, insurance and tracking of off-road bikes but cautioned that regulation had to be proportionate.

He said: "I strongly encourage joint working between local authorities and the police on public space protection orders, community protection notices and other similar devices to eradicate this scourge."

The Home Office said Cleveland Police was among 10 forces being funded for extra patrols as part of the government's Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan.