Officers seize 19 vehicles in crackdown on off-road bikes

Officers have been cracking down on illegal vehicles as part of an ongoing targeted operation to tackle anti-social behaviour and have seized 19 vehicles.

The latest Operation Reclaim took place on Thursday (23 October) and saw officers gather in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, to begin the intelligence-driven activity across the north of the county.

As part of the operation, the National Police Air Service’s fixed wing plane worked with five police motorcyclists and our road crime team as well as locally based officers from Hanley, Longton and Newcastle, to conduct proactive patrols for around four hours in key identified locations.

Areas within Stoke-on-Trent south, Stoke-on-Trent north and Newcastle-under-Lyme were targeted in a direct response to reports made by concerned residents in these areas.

Following Thursday’s operation, a total of 12 e-scooters, five off-road bikes and two electric bikes were seized. Officers also stopped 10 vehicles.

Sergeant Anthony McKenzie, of our road crime team, who organised the operation, said: “We do not underestimate the issues that the use of these illegal off-road bikes cause to our communities.

“They pose a real danger not only to the users themselves, but to pedestrians as well as other road users.

“Residents regularly report these nuisance vehicles being a disruption and intimidating, especially when used along towpaths and high streets.

“I am pleased we are continuing to work at pace with colleagues across the organisation to target these vehicles and those who use them irresponsibly.”

For more information on Operation Reclaim, see: Force launches focus on illegal use of two-wheeled vehicles | Staffordshire Police

If you are unsure of the law around the use of off-road bikes and e-scooters, see: Advice on e-scooter usage | Staffordshire Police.

To follow the work of our Road Crime Team, follow the dedicated Facebook page.