"Tackle off road bikes" says Marie Tidball MP

Last week, Marie Tidball MP pressed the need to tackle reckless off-road bike use to the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, in Parliament. 

Marie Tidball, newly elected Labour MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, highlighted to the Home Secretary that “noisy off-road bikes speed around neighbourhoods like Chapeltown, deliberately disturbing and intimidating residents.” 

The vehicles are loud and driven too quickly, causing a danger to others, and those riding them. Mud and dirt sprays everywhere, ruining green spaces, and it’s off-putting for children and young people learning to cycle locally. 

Often these are farmer’s vehicles, necessary for their work, that have been stolen. 

In response, the Home Secretary confirmed that she plans to “strengthen the law to give police more powers to tackle the nightmare of dangerous off-road bikes”. 

The Labour Government is committed to increase police powers to allow them to dispose of off-road bikes being used antisocially, within 48 hours. 

The plans include police powers to raise on-the-spot fines for using the bikes to ensure perpetrators don’t ignore police instructions to stop. 

Marie Tidball, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, said: 

“I’ve spoken to many people about this issue across our constituency, particularly affecting residents in Chapeltown and High Green, as well as through much loved woodland walks. It was reassuring to hear the Home Secretary’s plan to strengthen police powers to take illegal, dangerous and antisocial bikes off the streets for good.”