42 vehicles seized as Northumbria cops clamp down on anti-social riders on illegal bikes

Northumbria Police have come down hard on nuisance riders, announcing that they’ve now seized 42 vehicles in South Tyneside and Sunderland, with a further 26 individuals reported for offences.

The action comes as part of Operation Capio, which was launched in November 2023 in a bid to cut down on the illegal use of motorcycles – which not only cause problems in local communities, but also tarnish the reputation of regular, law-abiding motorcyclists.

• Related: South Yorkshire police crackdown on nuisance riders

The campaign came into force after local Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness secured a £196,000 grant from the Home Office’s Safer Streets funding programme.

In a statement late last year, she said: “We are talking about motorbikes that are unroadworthy, unsafe and that are being used to cause unwelcome behaviour.

“If it’s a stolen bike, and we can trace its owner, it will be returned but if you’re riding an off-road bike illegally it’s only a matter of time before your bike will head off to the crusher.”

Around two months on from its inception, the scheme has acted on 125 reports from members of the public, with 20 community and housing orders issued to offenders. In total, 150 tip-offs and nuggets of intelligence have been provided by residents, allowing the force to act.

“We fully recognise the impact motorcycle disorder can have on residents – with these vehicles often being ridden in a dangerous and anti-social manner,” said Programme leader Chief Inspector Neil Hall. “We also often find that the riders involved in this behaviour are linked to other criminality such as burglary, drug dealing and theft.”

• Related: Bike thief brothers jailed

Keen to continue tackling the problem, the force are again encouraging residents to supply evidence such as registration plates of offending vehicles, time stamps for incidents, locations of motorcycles, descriptions of riders, and more.

To help out, you can visit the ‘report’ pages on northumbria.police.uk, or by calling 101.