SCRAMBLER bikes have been seized by police as part of a drive to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Police in Parr and Newton-le-Willows recovered the vehicles on Easter Sunday.

An officer on board a police quad bike tracked down one of the off road bikes that was being used on the site of the former Parkside Colliery in Newton-le-Willows.

A St Helens police statement read: "Easter Sunday, nice weather for a nice, peaceful walk - except you can't because you have to dodge these. Pay to go to an authorised track."

The other scooter-style bike was seized in Hammond Street, Parr. Police described it on social media as a "piece of junk".

They added: "No wonder the rider dropped it and ran off, too ashamed to take responsibility for this one.

"Shame it was once someone's pride and joy."

St Helens Star:

The scooter-style bike seized in Parr

As part of an annual community safety campaign run throughout spring, St Helens Council is raising awareness of the different types of anti-social behaviour (ASB) - to make it easier for residents when it comes to reporting.

ASB comes in many forms: from scrambler or quad bikes being ridden illegally on public land, to irresponsible dog owners not cleaning up after their pet. 

The #Ready2Report campaign aims to help identify what constitutes as Environmental ASB or Criminal ASB and how and why offences should be reported.

  • Environmental anti-social behaviour is nuisance behaviour which damages the appearance of a neighbourhood: dog fouling, litter, graffiti, noise, neighbour nuisance – all of these can be reported to the council or a registered social landlord.
  • Criminal anti-social behaviour is crime which is also included in definitions of anti-social behaviour and should be dealt with by the police, or can be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers UK. This includes behaviour which is threatening or offensive, such as intimidation, drug dealing and street drinking, fireworks being set off late at night, scramblers or quad bikes being ridden illegally on roads and public land and other types of vehicle misuse.

As anti-social behaviour can also be triggered by alcohol misuse, the campaign is being supported by St Helens Trading Standards, with a crackdown on underage alcohol sales, known as ‘proxy sales.’

It’s a joint effort, in collaboration with agencies from the St Helens Community Safety Partnership (CSP) – Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, Registered Social Landlords and other agencies – which sees increased resources, community clean-ups and extra patrols in hot-spot areas.

Efforts continue in communities with data released by St Helens Council’s Community Safety team showing that 184 less calls were made to the authorities during April 2018 compared to the previous year.

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St Helens Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Manager, Colette McIntyre, said:“With the nights starting to stay lighter for longer, residents should be able to enjoy their evenings - whether it be by going out for a stroll in our parks and open spaces, or by sitting out in their own back garden – without it being ruined by inconsiderate people carrying out anti-social behaviour.
“By reporting ASB, we can work together to ensure the problem is dealt with effectively.

"Last year, we saw an eight per cent decrease in the number of anti-social behaviour incidents reported to Merseyside Police and an 11 per cent decrease in the number of reports of inappropriate vehicle use.

"So we want to build on this success by making everyone aware of the different ways you can report these issues– for instance not everyone is aware you can now report off-road vehicle use to the police through Facebook and twitter, or litter and graffiti problems through our downloadable council app.

“Although it’s nice to see a steady reduction in reports each year, the council and its community partners are fully committed to tackling the issue of anti-social behaviour which in some cases, such as off-road vehicle nuisance, can lead to fatal outcomes.

"And when it comes to environmental nuisance – we don’t want residents to just accept them, as ignoring graffiti, litter or even dog fouling in the middle of the street can lead to more vandalism, having a ripple effect which can lead to further crime - I would therefore call on the public to help us in our pursuit as we look to keep our communities a safe place to visit and live.”


Merseyside Police Neighbourhood Inspector Neil Birkett added: "Community police in St Helens continue to work hard to tackle anti-social behaviour in the heart of our communities and we will continue to work with our partners to take any action we can to put an end to it.

"There is of course more that can be done and in addition to the work that we are doing we need the help of our communities.

“If you have a problem in your area, we want people to report it. If you have information speak to your local officer or PCSO, by messaging @MerPolCC on Twitter or Merseyside Police CC on Facebook or by calling 101, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“We must not be tolerant or accepting of anti-social behaviour. Individuals must behave responsibly or face the consequences, and parents, carers and families must also be aware of their own responsibilities in discouraging this kind of behaviour."

For more information on #Ready2Report and how to report anti-social behaviour visit: www.safersthelens.org.uk