NUISANCE bikers have been stopped in their tracks, thanks to a crime-busting scheme in Stockton.
Metal railings along Ouseport and Devonport Roads have been fitted to prevent quads and motorbikes accessing spare ground and taking part in antisocial behaviour (ASB.)
The railings have closed off 40 potential vehicle access routes on to the green space next to both roads.
Measures have been welcomed by residents, who are happy something is being done to stop the blight of nuisance bikes.
Previously, cars had been damaged and children were in danger as bikes and quads were driven recklessly across spare ground.
ASB goes down
Since Safer Streets 5 started in the Portrack and Tilery areas of Stockton Town Centre and parts of Ropner ward, incidents of antisocial behaviour (ASB) have gone down. Latest figures show ASB has reduced 47 per cent compared to 2020-21.*
Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey said: “One of the biggest causes of complaint to my office is the nuisance caused by antisocial bikes and quads.
“The noise and danger posed by these bikes – and those riding them – should not be under-estimated – particularly in areas, which suffer persistent problems.
“I’m happy to see that ASB has gone down in this area – and I hope that trend continues as a result of the measures, which we are helping to put in place.”
Leanne Wanless-Smith, Thirteen’s housing services team leader, said: “We’re committed to helping our customers feel safe where they live, so it’s great to be working in partnership.
“We’re looking forward to speaking to residents and continuing to make improvements to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour, and making the area a great place to live.”
“Negative Impact”
Councillor Norma Stephenson, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Access, Communities and Community Safety, said: “We know that antisocial behaviour of all kinds can have a profound negative impact on our residents, who have every right to feel safe in their communities.
“While we recognise there is always more to be done across the Borough, we are pleased to see that antisocial behaviour has already been reduced in the Ouseport and Devonport Roads area of Stockton thanks to our work with partners to tackle the problem of nuisance riders.”
The metal railings are just one of the measures taking place as part of the Home Office-backed Safer Streets 5 (SS5) programme.
Investment in Portrack and Tilery
The programme will see just over £331,000 poured into the Portrack and Tilery areas of Stockton Town Centre as well as parts of Ropner ward..
SS5 has already seen 10 CCTV cameras installed across the area. The cameras can be pivoted so they can focus on hotspots when incidents take place.
Extra street lighting has been fitted to make pedestrians feel safer in public while so-called target hardening packs have been distributed to residents.
The packs contain a number of home security measures including window locks, doorbells fitted with cameras, solar motion sensor lights and plug-in timers to make houses more secure.
SS5 in Stockton focusses on curbing ASB, neighbourhood crime and violence against women and girls.
The programme is led by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland in partnership with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Cleveland Police, the Power of Women, a Way out and Thirteen Housing.
Work is part an overall Safer Streets programme of almost £1m across Cleveland. SS5 will run for 18 months until March 2025.