Concerns raised over rise of nuisance motorbikers in South Tyneside

A new team set up by police to help tackle antisocial behaviour caused by off-road motorcycle riders has had “some successes” to date, although councillor concerns over the nuisance continue.

Motorcycle disorder is a regular topic at council meetings across Tyne and Wear, with concerns over speeding, noise and public safety.

Northumbria Police chiefs confirmed towards the end of last year a new dedicated team was to be set up to look into the issue across South Tyneside and Sunderland.  

Representatives from the force provided an update to the latest meeting of Jarrow and Boldon Community Area Forum (CAF) on how they have already taken action over “a number of bikes”  as part of the “promising results” since the group formed.

Sergeant Lee Meadows, of Northumbria Police, speaking at the meeting, said: “They’re having quite a few successes, they’ve only been going six weeks, seven weeks now, they’re gathering momentum as they get themselves into it.

“We’ve got a week of action coming up where my team are certainly going to be doing one or two days with them, where hopefully we can combine to try and tackle motorcycle disorder, but they are working across the area to seize motorcycles.”

He added while the number of motorcycle disorder incidents in Jarrow had “gone up” since the last meeting in November, the “reason behind that partially” is officers have been told to now report any nuisance riders they see while out.

This will allow the dedicated team tackling such incidents to “get a better picture of where the bikes are.” 

Councillor Stephen Dean, Bede ward representative on the CAF, said he was “really pleased” the team is working and taking action, but reiterated the issues with nuisance riders continue to plague residents.

He added: “I know in our ward at the moment it’s still bad. You get people on quad bikes and the other bikes, with their balaclavas on.”

Meanwhile, councillor John Robertson, Primrose ward representative, added he has seen a rise in dangerous motorcycle riders on roads stretching from Jarrow to Hebburn.

He said: “I’m talking speeding between the cars, whether stationary or ready to move at the lights, there has definitely been an increase.

“It’s two different types of not giving a hoot when they’re doing it in the middle of a field and churning the field up, and then racing in between cars and risking people’s lives, literally.”

Councillor Joanne Bell, Boldon Colliery ward representative, noted she has had similar concerns reported to her, with riders “banging” on the windows of cars stopped at traffic lights.

She said: “They’re banging on the cars that are stopped at the red lights as they drive through, so we have much the same problem as that, it’s a daily occurrence.”

Police representatives, speaking at the meeting on January 11, said all of the information would be fed back to the dedicated team to help them catch the culprits.

People can report incidents of nuisance motorbike riders to police at https://beta.northumbria.police.uk/ as well as by calling 101.