Wolverhampton police in successful operation over vehicle crime

Officers from Wolverhampton Police's priority crime team were out on Tuesday in an operation aimed at hitting back at vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour,

They joined with traffic officers and the off-road bikes team to target bike thieves and riders who cause a nuisance for residents.

A motorbike was spotted being ridden off-road on open land in Bushbury. It was abandoned soon after officers gave pursuit, with the suspect fleeing on a second bike.

The stolen bike was seized after it had been taken just 20 minutes earlier at Bentley Bridge in Wednesfield.

The team posted a video on the Wolverhampton Police twitter feed in which Sergeant Francis Allen explained more.

Patrols also picked up a banned motorist who was driving at speed in a residential area and failing to stop at junctions.

When officers brought the vehicle to a halt a man ran off, but after a short chase through gardens he was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and falsely displaying a cloned vehicle registration.

Another motorist stopped was also found to be a disqualified driver. He was charged and was due before Wolverhampton Magistrates Court today .

Officers also spotted a man wanted on suspicion of burgling a home, who's now been charged with assault and criminal damage and three vehicles, found being driven without insurance, are now also off the roads after they were seized.

PC Karl Ansell, from the Wolverhampton Priorities Team, said: "We're all about focusing on those areas that cause alarm and upset for residents.

"We know theft of vehicles and especially bikes is something people are all too aware of and that those bikes are often then ridden with little regard for the safety of other people.

"So days like this allow us to pull together a number of teams and target hotspots to not only make arrests, but also act as a deterrent and a warning that we are committed to keeping our communities and our roads safe."