Easter Warning For Nuisance Bikers From Durham Police

Nuisance bikers can expect a personalised card from Durham Police this Easter, warning repeat offenders they risk serious consequences should they illegally ride again.

Prolific anti-social riders are the target of Operation Endurance – Durham Police’s long-running crackdown on nuisance bikers which also uses SelectaDNA tagging spray to catch offenders.

The ‘behave or face consequences’ Easter card initiative will take place in Darlington and will let offenders know that they are being watched.

Officers from Durham Police will be delivering the Easter cards to offenders in the town who have been caught riding illegally on more than one occasion and have been issued with two or more warning notices.

The cards are one tactic officers are using as part of a crackdown on the illegal use of off-road bikes.

Following concerns from members of the community regarding off-road bikes being ridden illegally and antisocially in Darlington, officers are also using a unique DNA tagging spray to be sprayed on offenders who refuse to stop for police.

The solution marks the bikes, clothing and skin of the riders, which shows up under special UV lights and stays in place for a number of weeks, even after washing.

The spray provides forensic evidence to link suspects to crimes and has already been successfully deployed in the town, resulting in a conviction.

Inspector Chris Knox, from Darlington Neighbourhood Police Team, said: “As the weather warms up and the schools break up for the Easter holidays, we want to remind illegal bikers that we are watching them.

“We’d ask all recipients of this card to be mindful of their behaviour – if you are repeatedly riding illegally and antisocially, we will find you and we will take action against you.”

He added: “We know that the illegal and antisocial use of off-road bikes is a major concern to people living in Darlington, and we want to reassure residents that we are using a number of tactics to tackle it.

“As well as Easter cards and the DNA spray, we also hope to use drones to capture images that can be used to identify people who are breaking the law, and find where bikes are being stored.”