Lewis Atkinson MP: New government Respect Orders will make our city safer and tackle dangerous antisocial behaviour in Sunderland

Over the past few months, I've heard from many of you about the dangerous riding of modified and off-road bikes in areas across Sunderland, including the city centre and Durham Road.

This kind of behaviour isn’t just a small annoyance – it’s a serious problem.

It’s intimidating, it puts people at risk, and it leaves many of us feeling unsafe in our own neighbourhoods. I’ve seen the impact it has on residents, especially those who are trying to go about their day-to-day lives without fear.

Last week I raised the issue directly with the Prime Minister.

I asked for more support for our police officers, who are already doing a great job tackling the issue but are struggling without the proper resources or powers to deal with the scale of the problem.

We need to make sure they have the tools they need to keep our streets safe.

Northumbria Police and Sunderland City Council have also been working together to tackle this issue.

They've increased patrols across Sunderland and in the past few weeks, they’ve been out visiting schools, as well as doing estate walks in places like Pallion, Pennywell, and the city centre.

I was pleased to hear that the Prime Minister has introduced new measures called ‘Respect Orders’ which will give police stronger powers to seize vehicles involved in anti-social behaviour.

These orders mean that officers will no longer need to give a warning before taking away vehicles, such as off-road bikes, that are causing trouble in local communities. Failure to follow a Respect Order will now be a criminal offence.

These changes will help police act more quickly to tackle problems like off-road bikes in parks, dangerous e-scooters on pavements, and street racing.

While this is a positive step forward, we need to make sure these new powers work for Sunderland, and that our community is properly supported.

I will continue to push on a national level for the resources and support our police need so that together we can make our city safer for everyone.