Quad bike yobs slammed after more damage at Sunderland football pitch

Football pitches have again been vandalised by at least one quad bike, ruining the playing surface and making them dangerous.
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Residents living close to Hylton Road playing fields say that the latest incident came on the Sunday night / Monday morning of December 12 / 13.

The bike has churned up a large section of one of the three pitches at the site. As well as destroying the grass, the trenches made by tyres have made the pitch dangerous to play on.

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A similar incident occurred on October 15 on the same pitch. It happened again on November 21, although on that occasion the damaged turf was outside the perimeter of the pitches.

Turf on one of the Hylton Road pitches has been churned up, making it dangerous to play football.Turf on one of the Hylton Road pitches has been churned up, making it dangerous to play football.
Turf on one of the Hylton Road pitches has been churned up, making it dangerous to play football.

Other parts of Sunderland have been affected by antisocial behaviour involving quad and off-road motorcycles. Earlier this year a pitch in Ryhope was left looking like a ploughed field.

A Public Spaces Protection Order bans “Anti social use of motor cycles, mopeds, quad bikes, skateboards or bicycles” in Sunderland’s council owned parks and playing fields. But yobs on quad bikes are ignoring this and are easily gaining entry.

A dog walker who regularly uses Hylton Road playing fields told us: “I think it goes on more than people realise. They must never lock the gates though.”

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Leader of Sunderland City Council, Cllr Graeme Miller said: “We’re all very aware of what a nuisance some bikers and motorcyclists can be.

Turf on one of the Hylton Road pitches has been churned up, making it dangerous to play football.Turf on one of the Hylton Road pitches has been churned up, making it dangerous to play football.
Turf on one of the Hylton Road pitches has been churned up, making it dangerous to play football.

"This latest incident is a very disturbing example of completely irresponsible and unnecessary criminal behaviour that has an impact on an entire neighbourhood.

“We have, alongside partnership work with Northumbria Police, been taking action against these motorbiking hooligans and will continue to do so.

“I believe somebody will know more about this incident and I would urge them to come forward and stand up for their community and tell us who is doing this.

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“It can be challenging for residents to come forward and report anti-social behaviour, but they can do so in complete confidence and with their help we can continue to make communities safer and help prevent incidents like this.”

The council sign at the entrance to the playing fields specifically bans the "anti-social use" of quad bikes.The council sign at the entrance to the playing fields specifically bans the "anti-social use" of quad bikes.
The council sign at the entrance to the playing fields specifically bans the "anti-social use" of quad bikes.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria Police, Kim McGuinness, has called on the Government to introduce new laws to clamp down on rogue riders. She wants tracker devices fitted to all motorbikes to monitor their speed and location.

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