CARLISLE'S local neighbourhood policing team are continuing with their efforts to tackle the issue of motorbike misuse.

Officers continue to carry out an operation focussing on anti-social and dangerous use of off-road motorbikes after the issue became a growing problem in the city in recent weeks – and this continued during last week’s 'ASB Awareness Week'.

During the week, enforcement officers from Carlisle City Council joined officers and PCSOs in a coordinated day of action which resulted in them talking with young people in the city centre and in Bitts Park.

One young person was stopped after riding an electric scooter in a public place. Officers took the young person home and issued a warning.

The wider operation follows a number of incidents of people riding regular off-road or electric off-road motorbikes, often in groups, and sometimes at speed.

The issue has caused annoyance to members of the public and put people at risk of injury, the constabulary said.

Officers have already seized a number of motorbikes suspected to have been used in an anti-social manner or driven illegally.

Sergeant Pete Aiston said: "The anti-social and dangerous use of motorbikes is a concern that has been raised to us by people living and working in the city.

"Those misusing motorbikes pose a risk not only to themselves but also to members of the public when they ride, often at high speeds, through public and pedestrian areas around Carlisle.

"It is illegal to ride a privately owned e-scooter on public land or the highway.

"You can only ride a hired e-scooter in areas where there are official government trials of e-scooters and these are subject of conditions, such as being over the age of 18 years and holding a driving licence.

"I would encourage anyone to come forward and tell us if you are affected by this issue and to tell us if you know who is riding the motorbikes.

"We will take positive action on anyone caught riding motorbikes illegally.”

Anyone with information can report online at www.cumbria.police.uk/report-it. You can also call 101.

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