Saturday, December 10, 2005
Councillor’s Call to “crush” illegally used motor-bikes:
A small minority of children, youths and supposedly grown-up men have spent the summer driving residents up the wall with their noisy motor-bikes. Clearly there are a small number of people who are knowingly breaking the law and this includes those parents who buy the bikes and allow their children to use them in St. Mellons. Most offenders know they are causing misery for thousands of local residents - especially the elderly and parents of infant children. It seems they simply do not care; indeed some seem to enjoy challenging the authorities and annoying other people.
The facts are that it is against the law to drive any motorised vehicle (including “gopeds”) on the highway without valid insurance, road-tax and MOT and Council by-laws do not permit anyone to drive a motorised vehicle on its park land in St. Mellons.
We have tried various ways to stop the illegal use of motor-bikes in the area. Our newsletters have informed residents that the activity is illegal - this has generally been ignored but we know some parents have stopped their children using motor-bikes and we thank them for this. At great cost to tax-payers, we are slowly erecting metal-fencing around local parkland using money that we would rather spend on facilities. We have used boulders to block access points. We have enlisted help from the Police who have mounted operations to seize bikes. Unfortunately when returned to their owners, for a fee of £105, the bikes return to the streets again almost immediately. Anti-social behaviour orders are being used but take time to work.
We believe this dangerous and anti-social behaviour should not be tolerated and have had further discussions with the Police and the Council to see what else can be done. The Government has passed legislation that allows the police to seize and crush illegally used motor-vehicles and we are now asking South Wales Police to do this rather than return bikes to their owners.
Some residents say we will never stop illegal motor-bike use in the area. We disagree: in 2003 people said that about “stray” horses but we were determined to succeed and have made progress. With the help of residents we persuaded the Police and Council to act on horses and with your help we are doing the same with motor-bike nuisance. But we need your help!
How Can You Help? The local police need more resources to tackle motor-bikes effectively so we want South Wales Police Headquarters to recognise how big a problem we have in St. Mellons and provide the money and equipment necessary to effectively combat motor-vehicle nuisance.
a) Telephone the police on 20222111 every time motor-bikes are causing a nuisance.
Provide full details and ask for an incident number every time you make a report. This will ensure that the true extent of the problem is recorded by police Head Quarters.
b) Send a letter to Chief Constable, Barbara Wilding, South Wales Police, Cowbridge Road, Brigend CF31 3SU. Tell her the effect motor-bike nuisance has on your life and ask her to organise more anti-motorbike operations. Ask her to use the new powers that allow the destruction of illegally used motor-vehicles. We need a copy of your letters and any reply.
c) We are investigating the possibility of the Council taking legal action against offenders - especially adults. This will require photographic and video evidence that clearly identifies individuals in the act of breaking the law. If you can obtain such material we would like to hear from you.
Councillors Ralph Cook, David English and Monica Walsh
The facts are that it is against the law to drive any motorised vehicle (including “gopeds”) on the highway without valid insurance, road-tax and MOT and Council by-laws do not permit anyone to drive a motorised vehicle on its park land in St. Mellons.
We have tried various ways to stop the illegal use of motor-bikes in the area. Our newsletters have informed residents that the activity is illegal - this has generally been ignored but we know some parents have stopped their children using motor-bikes and we thank them for this. At great cost to tax-payers, we are slowly erecting metal-fencing around local parkland using money that we would rather spend on facilities. We have used boulders to block access points. We have enlisted help from the Police who have mounted operations to seize bikes. Unfortunately when returned to their owners, for a fee of £105, the bikes return to the streets again almost immediately. Anti-social behaviour orders are being used but take time to work.
We believe this dangerous and anti-social behaviour should not be tolerated and have had further discussions with the Police and the Council to see what else can be done. The Government has passed legislation that allows the police to seize and crush illegally used motor-vehicles and we are now asking South Wales Police to do this rather than return bikes to their owners.
Some residents say we will never stop illegal motor-bike use in the area. We disagree: in 2003 people said that about “stray” horses but we were determined to succeed and have made progress. With the help of residents we persuaded the Police and Council to act on horses and with your help we are doing the same with motor-bike nuisance. But we need your help!
How Can You Help? The local police need more resources to tackle motor-bikes effectively so we want South Wales Police Headquarters to recognise how big a problem we have in St. Mellons and provide the money and equipment necessary to effectively combat motor-vehicle nuisance.
a) Telephone the police on 20222111 every time motor-bikes are causing a nuisance.
Provide full details and ask for an incident number every time you make a report. This will ensure that the true extent of the problem is recorded by police Head Quarters.
b) Send a letter to Chief Constable, Barbara Wilding, South Wales Police, Cowbridge Road, Brigend CF31 3SU. Tell her the effect motor-bike nuisance has on your life and ask her to organise more anti-motorbike operations. Ask her to use the new powers that allow the destruction of illegally used motor-vehicles. We need a copy of your letters and any reply.
c) We are investigating the possibility of the Council taking legal action against offenders - especially adults. This will require photographic and video evidence that clearly identifies individuals in the act of breaking the law. If you can obtain such material we would like to hear from you.
Councillors Ralph Cook, David English and Monica Walsh
