Off-road bikers facing brutal consequences after Labour’s crackdown on anti-social behavior

In the run-up to the election, Labour’s plans to tackle anti-social behavior are being unveiled with some intense consequences for those affecting local communities. Labour’s shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper is taking particular aim at those riding dirt bikes and quad bikes.

Some tough new measures set out today will give police powers to immediately destroy nuisance off-road vehicles. The Labor Party will also empower police to pay tougher on-the-spot fines to offenders.

Under current policy, obnoxious vehicles must be held by the police for 14 days before being disposed of. To recoup the cost of confiscating the bikes, the police sell the bikes at auction, which can see them end up back on the streets they were seized from.

The new plans will allow police to crush bikes after 48 hours if they believe they are being used in an anti-social way in the local community. In addition, while current on-the-spot fines can be up to £100, Labor has promised “significantly tougher” fines at an amount to be determined through consultation.

The shadow secretary said: “Noisy dirt bikes speeding through local streets and neighbourhoods, deliberately disturbing and intimidating local residents, are a nightmare for communities.

“However, all too often the culprits get away again and again, and even when the police do take action, the bikes still end up back on the streets. Cracking down on anti-social behavior will be one of the first steps of the next Labor government as everyone should feel safe on their streets.”

In addition, Labour’s proposal also includes some provisions to steer young people away from anti-social behaviour, called the Young Futures programme, which provides access to youth terms for those most vulnerable to crime, creating new youth centers and providing health professionals mental health in schools.

Frustrations over anti-social dirt bikes confronted Home Secretary Chris Philip earlier this year, who claimed the government was committed to “tackling and preventing” anti-social behavior and acknowledged the impact it has on communities .

He said bodies such as the police and councils had the power to tackle the issue and advised that it should be left to local authorities to “decide how best to exercise those powers” in the communities they know best.