A Stockton councillor has spoken out on the scourge of off-road bikes, as residents in Thornaby say it is getting out of hand.
Cllr Mick Moore believes police have limited resources to help address the issue and he has urged more people to report it.
“There’s not enough police in the area to handle it,” he said, “We need to do a lot more to try and stop it. It’s down to the police to take more action.”
He believes if more people report problems there is a better chance of getting specialist off-road bike teams into the area to help tackle the issue. Moore also said boulders placed on access routes into the fields had been helpful.
“It’s not only Thornaby, it’s everywhere,” he said. “It’s scary for everybody, everywhere.”
The riders have been mainly spotted in groups, wearing balaclavas to cover their faces. Areas such as the field next to Lockerbie Walk and the Harold Wilson field in Thornaby have been left with muddy tracks and ripped-up grass. In many cases, the riders are using powerful e-bikes which may not be legal.
One Thornaby resident, who asked not to be named, says she has been forced to consider moving house due to the amount of crime she has witnessed.
She said: “These kids on the bikes that are tearing about are only 14 or 15 and they’re getting away with these petty crimes. They’re tearing up the fields where young kids are playing football – doing doughnuts and not wearing helmets.
“Because nobody is pulling them up, they’re trying their hand at more and more. Before you know it, they’re stealing from shops or they’re turning to drugs and it escalates until they become the adult criminals of the town.”
According to a Cleveland Police response to a Freedom of Information request in 2024, there has been a staggering rise in reported crimes that mentioned “electric bike”. In 2019-2020, there were just 11 crimes under “electric bike” and that had risen more than tenfold to a shocking 120 in 2023-24.
Cleveland Police said dealing with the criminal use of bikes on our roads is a priority for the force but they declined to discuss the issue further with TUXtra, pointing instead to information on their news site.
Reports show police seized and destroyed an E-bike, which had been ridden on a pavement near pedestrians on Valley Road, Middlesbrough, on February 14th. Two males fell off the bike and ran towards Eastbourne shops. Enquiries are ongoing to establish their identities.
Under UK law, electric bikes are legal to riders aged 14 or over, as long as they meet the requirements of an electrically assisted pedal cycle (EAPC). These requirements state that the motor must not propel the bike when travelling over 15.5mph and the pedals must be fitted and capable of propelling the bike.
