Police to increase use drones in fight against illegal and anti social off-road biking in Sunderland

A police operation across Sunderland targeted off-road bikes and their riders at the beginning of July. Three suspected stolen motorcycles were seized. This week, at the launch of Operation Impact, a senior officer specifically addressed the issue which angers many Wearsiders.

Off-road motorcycles are often ridden with no regard for others, are noisy and have damaged playing fields across the city.

As motorbikes can go where cars can’t, it can be difficult for officers to catch them. Northumbria Police say catching them from the air is the way forward.

Sunderland area commander, Chief Superintendent Barrie Joisce, was at the launch of Operation Impact in Pallion.

He said: “We have a drone operation because off-road motorcycles are a significant issue in the area.

"That’s what our residents tell us, so we’re deploying a drone, which is a proactive tactic to identify people riding illegal off-road motorbikes in the area as well.

“On the ground we’ll have high-visibility officers and plain clothes officers deployed as part of the operation. We know where the hotspots are, so we’ll be making sure we increase our presence there.

“What I would ask for is community intelligence. It’s really important that the public who know the people who are riding these motorbikes, or where off-road motorbikes are stored, give that information to us and allow us to have that proactive approach.

“But the drone gives us that capability to be able to track motorbikes. We’ll use that as a tactic to identify offenders and addresses they’re associated with.

“The beauty of the drone is that it negates the need to physically chase these bikes on the ground. There are obvious risks associated with chasing people. The drone is a safe way of tracking people.

“It’s a new initiative for the area. We’ve invested in drones because of the issues we’ve had. This is the start of the drone operation to increase our ability to target those involved.”

Information on anti-social behaviour can be reported anonymously online via the Tell us Something page of Northumbria Police's website or calling 101. You can also report incidents to the council at www.sunderland.gov.uk/report-it, or ringing 520 5550.