Off-road bike nuisance in Hesleden

We were contacted over the weekend by residents in Hesleden concerned about the noise and nuisance created in the village by off-road bikes. We have received similar complaints recently about off-road bikes in other locations, particularly along the coast, so we reported these problems to the council to co-ordinate a response and we also contacted the police to ask their advice.

The police response is published below in full:

Thanks for the heads-up Rob.

As you are aware, we are currently working with partners along the coast to build up barriers to prevent off-road vehicles accessing vulnerable areas along the coastal pathway. This appears to be having some success as I have been speaking to the wardens who have noticed a significant fall in the amount of vehicles on their radar, especially around the Little Tern site.

I also regularly attend the area around Harold Wilson, Eden Cottages and Hazel Drive as we receive quite a number of calls from residents in this area and last night attended a call about two youths with balaclavas riding bikes. On arrival, I spoke to a young lad who was riding on the green on a childs electric bike, supervised by his father – words of advice given.

The access in Hesleden appears to be mainly from the SusTrans line between Shotton and Hart, although it is more than likely that some of the issues are closer to home. I have previously spoken to various people in the village about the nuisance caused by off-road bikes and issued warning notices to this effect – at present, there is no intelligence to state that these same people are involved in this latest spate of calls. The SusTrans is a public access and a bridleway which limits the actions which can be taken to prevent these vehicles. An alternative form of action might be to look at the access into the village from this access line – there are limited pathways in – one from the allotment site, one from Station Road, and one from East Terrace. If we can stop the ‘day racers’ who see the football field and the green at East Terrace as a perfect place to stop off, then we can start to work on the issues that may be in the village. 

This may be something that needs to be discussed through DCC and RoW, but I am sure that Gary Ward from Motorcycle section, who has been working with Heritage Coast and Natural England, to advise on the tactics that appear to be successful in their areas if required.

In the meantime, I shall continue to patrol in this area and always encourage residents to contact Police should this problem reoccur.

Many thanks,

Ian

Ian Goodwin

PCSO 6638