To call the police

[procrastinationsupremo]

We've recently moved house and there's a lovely big children's park next door that leads on to some woods. For the last hour or so there have been two (I assume) teenagers on dirt bikes riding round and round and round and round... The noise is driving me a little bit mental! I'm not usually a massive rule enforcer (there's a big sign saying no motorbikes at the entrance to the park) and would normally just tolerate it, but I don't want it to become a regular thing. The noise in the house is bad enough but when I went out in the garden it was unbelievably loud!! Tbh I was hoping someone else might call the police as it seems fairly antisocial, but no sign of them so far... Would I be a giant middle-aged kill-joy??? (My 2 year old seems not have even noticed )

I’d call 101 for sure.

I'd call the non-emergency number for the police - you don't want it to be a regular thing as the park becomes unusable by families and children.

Are they actually in the park?

You can call, but the square root of fuck all will be done about it. (Mainly because there's very little which can be done if they're unregistered scrambler bikes)

The park is a large grassed area with an entrance and a small car park. Then within the grassed area there is a play park that is further fenced off. They are riding round and round the inner play park fence. The entrance to the park/car-park says no motorbikes (it also says dogs on leads and no one pays any attention to that either!)

fucklush your username suggests you may be answering with some specific professional insight??

Those stupid sodding bikes drive me nuts. There's a couple of idiots that ride them up and down our street till after midnight, the police are asking for any information regarding it as its antisocial.

Definitely ring 101 and report it.

fucklush your username suggests you may be answering with some specific professional insight??

Yep, I'm afraid so. It's a really common problem,

They've gone away now, so maybe someone braver than me went out and shouted at them! They looked pretty young (from what I could see) so I assume some kind parent probably bought them the damn things grrrrr

procrastinationsupremo

That is the problem, instead of calling the police, you waiting for someone else to do it.
Have you thought that maybe that someone may also be waiting for you to call.
I would not be putting up with that noise at any time.

Call the police now

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-northern-ireland-36852173

Police can’t pursue them if they’re not wearing helmets.
As a pp has said, not a lot can be done with unregistered scramblers that you are unable to pursue.
If it becomes a big problem then keep reporting each time as the council can install anti-bike barriers to stop them getting in.

I know, it was a bit wet of me not to call, but as a pp confirmed I thought it unlikely that the police could do much and I didn't want to antagonise a pair of antisocial teens. I'll call 101 now and log it in case it becomes a regular thing.

It's an offence to ride a motorbike off road without permission of the landowner, licenced or not. Add to that that it's most likely kids who are too young to ride a motorbike on the road, and they probably aren't wearing helmets and it's happening on well used public land beside a play park and it's an accident waiting to happen. Call 101 and report it. The Police may not respond quickly as it probably isn't a priority. Keep reporting it every time it happens.

Police can’t pursue them if they’re not wearing helmets.

That isn't true. The Home Office issued a statement about that recently.

Is a scrambler like a quad bike? Or a little motor bike (I’m so technical). There were teenagers riding quad bikes (like they use on farms) near us. They parked them on the street and I was able to report them for that as they didn’t have number plates. They didn’t rush over straight away but said to keep reporting it when they were there and they have now disappeared. They now place tennis which is equally anti social but won’t kill anyone.
This was in Scotland though so probs not the same at all.

That isn't true. The Home Office issued a statement about that recently.

The home office can issue whatever statement they like, while there's no protection in law for police for driving offences (even on blues) you'll be hard pushed to find an officer prepared to pursue. I'm not going to prison to stop anyone Making off on a bike or a car for that matter

Erm. I'll just leave this here...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44204844

After serious rioting in my force a fair way back after a teenager was pursued with no helmet and he ended up crashing and dying I think you’ll be hard pressed to find any police officer willing to pursue with no helmet.
In my force it was prohibited by the Chief Constable to pursue with no helmet after this incident regardless of what the Home Office say.

That bbc article basically says what I was saying.
It is up to individual forces to make a decision on whether to allow pursuits without a helmet, regardless of what the law says.
It may not be illegal, but if it is prohibited in your force then it may as well still be illegal!

I realise that once I'd called them it really wouldn't be up to me how the professionals dealt with it (if at all) but I was envisioning them being told firmly not to be such silly, selfish sods, not chased through the streets!

We have them on our field across the road. Police did have a clampdown a few years ago but with more than one entrance to the field they never really stood a chance of catching them.

It is beyond annoying to listen to though I agree.

Do it. Have they got registration plates on? Also mention it to your council community safety / safer community team to flag up for ASB. Don't do nothing! The police are busy and don't read these boards in their work time.

Maybe it depends where you are, I've seen my local police asking people to report motorbikes like this as it's quite a big problem is some areas and they do take the bikes away if they can catch them.