Warnings issued to nuisance motorcyclists in Ashford

Police in Ashford are reminding off-road motorcyclists to ride responsibly or risk having their bikes seized after being branded nuisance motorcyclists.

The advice has been issued after officers issued three seizure warnings in two days in relation to reports of nuisance motorcyclists in the south Ashford area; an eight-year-old boy, a teenage boy, and a 40 year-old man were all spoken to by police about their behaviour.

Under Section 59 of the Road Traffic Act, if a warning has been issued and that person or vehicle is stopped again for being a nuisance within a one-year period, the vehicle can be seized and impounded by police.

Police had already given two seizure warnings to children last month in Ashford.

Posters have been put up around Ashford reminding bike owners of their responsibilities.

Inspector Jason Atkinson of Ashford Community Safety Unit said: ‘Whether you are riding a moped, a mini motorbike or a quadbike, you have a duty to ride in a safe, considerate and legal manner.

‘Make sure you have the permission of the land owner if you are riding your bike on land you do not own, as you could be inadvertently damaging valuable farmland.  Have some consideration for other people in the area if it’s used by dog walkers, horse riders, or is a popular area for families to gather.

‘And regardless of your age, remember your own safety too, we receive reports that some anti-social riders are not wearing helmets which is concerning and simply not acceptable.

‘During the Easter holidays, officers and PCSOs will continue to patrol areas of Ashford where concerns have been reported about nuisance bikes and those found behaving in such a way could lose their bikes.

‘We ask the community to let us know if they see anti-social riding by contacting police, either 101 (999 if a crime is in progress) or via the Kent Police website.’