Plan to tackle motorbike disorder 'blighting' areas of Sunderland

Plans are in place by police chiefs to tackle motorcycle disorder which “blights” parts of Sunderland.

Northumbria Police representatives stressed “a lot of work” is ongoing across the area to tackle the issue, with more planned over the summer months. 

The latest meeting of Sunderland City Council’s west area committee (on Wednesday, June 28) heard nuisance motorcycle concerns in the area had gone up by “54% over the last three months or so”.

Inspector Steve Passey, from Northumbria Police, noted the region covered by the committee “sees a higher proportion of motorcycle disorder” compared to other areas across Sunderland.

Speaking at the meeting, he said: “Motorcycle disorder blights the west, and motorcycle disorder was a common theme across all areas of the west.

“The hot spots for motorcycle disorder are Thorney Close, Ford Estate, Pennywell, very similar to just our standard antisocial behaviour hot spots. 

“Our summer plan for the west will focus on motorcycle disorder, it’s our number one priority, because members that’s one thing I discuss with you all at length, and that’s what the community is telling us.”

Meanwhile Inspector Phil Baker, who is leading a force-wide problem solving plan on motorcycle disorder, told the latest meeting of Washington Area Committee (on Thursday, June 29) he hoped they would soon be able to report positive progress on the issue.

Speaking at the meeting, he said: “We’ve got lots of work going on throughout the city, but also in Washington to try and tackle that, and that brings lots of different people together to try and do something in regards to that.

“Hopefully we’ll try and get some good news out there to let people know we are doing something because I know it is a real issue.”

He added he was “amazed” motorcycle disorder did not appear higher in the antisocial behaviour statistics for the Washington area, with the nuisance only the third most prominent issue according to latest figures.

In the Washington area in the 8-week period up to June 13 there had been 263 antisocial behaviour incidents, with hot spots being Lambton and Oxclose followed by Fatfield and then Usworth.

Most of the disorder was around inconsiderate behaviour/rowdy behaviour followed by neighbour disputes and then motorcycle disorder, according to police.

People can report incidents of nuisance motorbike riders to police at https://beta.northumbria.police.uk/ as well as by calling 101.