‘We’re hunting you’ message to trouble Huddersfield bikers as new plan set out

Time is running out for illegal drivers who are causing anger and frustration among law abiding drivers in Huddersfield and Kirklees.

That’s the stark message from West Yorkshire Police chiefs, who have set up a new bike unit to get unsavory bikers off the road “for good”.

The new specialist police bike unit dedicated to tackling and hunting down nasty bikers on the streets and fields of Kirklees. It follows numerous complaints from the public in Huddersfield about “stupid cyclists” performing dangerous stunts, riding without helmets and number plates and generally causing mayhem on the streets. The machines included quads, off-road motorcycles and powerful e-bikes.

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Members of the public have previously described the bikers as intimidating, aggressive and very dangerous. Riders were spotted all over Huddersfield, from Leeds Road and Ainley Top, to Newsome and Lindley.

The Kirklees Noisance Anti-Social Behavior team has already started confiscating devices and responding to calls.

The six-strong team is the first dedicated unit of its kind ever seen in Kirklees to tackle illegal riders and is keen to hear from residents experiencing problems in their communities.

The team promises “a new intensity and focus on outlaw off-road riders.”

Specific days of action are already being planned with neighborhood policing teams and the force’s Road Policing Unit.

The team is also reviewing footage submitted of a number of off-road bike incidents and working to identify suspects for police attention.

In the early days of June, the squad seized six bikes for the offense and issued four section 59 warnings which advise riders that their vehicles can be confiscated if they are seen being used anti-socially.

Sergeant Shaun Oates, who leads the new team, said: “Although we have used off-road bike patrols for a number of years in the District, these officers have had other duties and have never been full-time in this role.

“The Noisance ASB team is the first dedicated unit of its kind that we have had in Kirklees and it allows us to operate with a new intensity and focus to invest time in communities that have problems with off-road travel.

“We will be operating with police bikes, a police car and more tools than we have had before, both to stop illegal bikes where appropriate and to hunt down their owners.”

Chief Inspector Rebecca Calpin, from Kirklees Police, said: “We have been working for a long time to build this new team, which is a brilliant new asset that we know the communities will really welcome.

“Antisocial and illegal travel is not tolerated in our communities and never has been. While we have regularly prosecuted dangerous riders, having a dedicated unit only enhances our capabilities.”

She added: “I want to thank those residents who send in information and images of illegal riding and urge them to continue to do so.

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“Unfortunately in the summer we can see an increase in this offense and we want to use good intelligence to help us better deploy our team where needed.

“The same images and information are also just as important in helping us find suspects who may have fled.

“We have and will continue to follow up on every call we receive regarding illegal travel, with efforts to identify suspects through submitted images, eyewitness reports and partner checks.

“We are currently already carrying out CCTV inquiries in areas where we have incidents and checking footage from garages to help us identify illegal riders.