'People end up dead': National Police Air Service joins crackdown against off-road bikes in Staffordshire

“Souped-up e-scooters” have also been highlighted as an issue in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent by the area’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Ben Adams.

Staffordshire Police launched a crackdown on the illegal use of two-wheeled vehicles earlier this summer. Operation Reclaim has used intelligence from communities to seize nuisance off-road bikes and e-scooters.

And speaking at the latest Police, Fire and Crime Panel meeting Mr Adams said the National Police Air Service had been involved in tracking off-road bikes. The Commissioner is chair of the National Strategic Board of the National Police Air Service (NPAS), which provides air support to police forces across England and Wales.

He said at the meeting: “Off-road bikes are a real problem. Somebody knows where they are being parked and who is stashing them.

“Illegal e-bikes, souped-up e-scooters are all causing another challenge for communities. Policing that is a horror because without the right equipment they can’t track the perpetrators.

“We’ve even had paid-for additional flights by the national 'fixed-wing', particularly over Stoke-on-Trent and the Moorlands, to track off-road bike use. People end up dead as a result of that stuff – kids quite often.

“It’s really important and we’re not going to ease off this. A number of forces have stepped back from that approach.

“They are looking to enforce and maintain that piece of work within the police. And the partnership, the potential for wider education of schoolkids, is left to the councils.

“We’ve got somebody who works with both authorities around that and I think there’s real value in this partnership approach. I want to hold that regardless of where we go in the future with local government re-organisation because I think it’s important.”

Speaking after the meeting he said: “Through NPAS, Staffordshire Police secured a number of ‘fixed-wing’ flights over Staffordshire, with the aircraft providing reports to officers on the ground and helping the force crack down on the illegal and anti-social use of off-road and e-bikes. My office has also contributed funding for dedicated drones within the force’s Road Crime Team, which allow the team to track and intercept nuisance riders in hotspot locations, as well as gather evidence.

“The anti-social use of off-road bikes is a concern for our communities, as where these bikes are ridden in parks, on pavements and in other public spaces, they can result in injuries, as well as damage to property and green spaces.”