THE leader of Fife Council has spoken to the Kingdom's top cop about the best way to tackle the "nuisance" of off-road bikers tearing up pavements, streets, paths and parks.
Councillor David Ross and Police Scotland chief superintendent Derek McEwan have agreed to form a working group to try and stop the troublemakers in their tracks - they'll also take action on other forms of anti-social behaviour such as setting fires in empty buildings and fighting at bus stations.
At the council meeting last week Labour councillor Patrick Browne had asked what action was being taken to tackle the "scourge of motorbikes and quad bikes being driven illegally and dangerously" in our communities.
He said the troublemakers were causing "noise and nuisance" which was blighting the lives of local residents, and suggested a working group should be set up involving all relevant council departments, the police and other partners.
Cllr Ross said: "I share the concerns you expressed about the impact of off-road bikes etc and the nuisance they cause.
"It's an issue that's regularly considered through the community safety partnership, particular action in terms of co-ordinated patrols, installation of gates, barriers, fences and suchlike.
"In the past the police have pursued some effective campaigns and seized and crushed illegal bikes and I know there are some very effective local initiatives, but it's a very intractable problem to address."
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He went on: "I think we also need to recognise that off-road bikes and 4x4s etc are only one aspect of anti-social behaviour that's affecting our communities.
"I've certainly had other issues raised with me, we've seen fires being started in derelict buildings, trouble in shops, trouble on buses and at bus stations.
"By no means do I wish to demonise our young people and we should be very careful but large groups of young people, some of them causing considerable disruption, is not something we want to see happening in Fife.
"In terms of those wider issues I've spoken this week to the divisional police commander, Derek McEwan, and we've agreed that we will pull together a grouping of key stakeholders to look at what we are doing and what more we can do, particularly over the summer when there are lighter nights and people are outside more, to nip some of this trouble in the bud.
"We're very much on it but it's a combination of local action and central co-ordination."
Cllr Browne added: "We all recognise anti-social behaviour takes various forms.
"Certainly, in my ward, one of the ways is the unlawful use of bikes in open spaces, causing nuisance, annoyance and danger for local people.
"I think unfortunately the only way of solving this issue is probably going to be seizing more of the bikes and basically putting them off the road, I think diversion has a role to play too."
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