Young children seen riding off road bikes in Sheffield as residents report anti-social behaviour issues

Police and Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh recently undertook work in the areas of Gleadless Valley, Lowedges and Batemoor as part of her community safety campaign.

Ms Haigh said one of the main issues people raised was that of young people using off road bikes, e-scooters and quad bikes.

Ms Haigh said: “The police were saying there have been children as young as four or five with these little motors. The problem ranges from young kids riding who have nothing better to do riding them right up to organised criminal gangs using them to collect and deliver drugs.”

Ms Haigh said tackling the underlying problem, and giving young people things to do, was a focus for her, particularly in Gleadless Valley which has little community provision.

Police say off road bikes are one of the most common complaints they receive.

Temporary Police Sergeant Ben Brown, from Sheffield South West Neighbourhood Team, added: “My small team of officers are working hard to tackle this issue. Over recent months we’ve been targeting hotspot areas, including Cat Lane Woods and land off Daresbury Avenue and we are seeing the impact of this work.“Our off-road bike team spend a lot of time alongside us on patrol identifying repeat offenders, gathering intelligence and also acting as a visible deterrent.

“We’ve also installed signage in these areas, highlighting our rights to stop riders and seize bikes. It sounds like a small thing, but we have seen some changes to behaviour. We’re taking enforcement action too, in one fortnight we seized several off-road bikes in Batemoor and Lowedges.

“Drug supply continues to be a priority for us, especially in Lowedges, and I’m really keen to encourage people to keep reporting information. The more details we have means we can take tougher action.”

He said police were working with a new neighbourhood co-ordinator to identify opportunities for young people. Contact police at [email protected]. Take part in the survey at louisehaigh.org.uk