COUNCILLORS in Stanford-le-Hope have assured residents in the town that Thurrock Council and Essex Police are working together to comet the menace of rogue motorcycle riders.

The issue of off-road bikers in various parts of the town has been a long-running blight on the area and over the past 24 months Thurrock Nub news has written several stories about the problems, the latest being in October when we reported cash was being set aside to give police a better chance of catching offenders.

In January this year we specifically looked at problems close to the new Maple Park and Stanford Park estates.

Almost a year on, Stanford West ward councillors Shane Hebb and Terry Piccolo joined Essex Police and Thurrock Council officers recently for a patrol of their area, specifically around Stanford Park and Butts Lane.

Discussion took place about the ongoing nuisance of off-road and illegal motorbike and quad-bike activity that residents and users of local green spaces have to encounter – and the next steps to be taken to further tackle the problem.

Cllr Hebb said: "Terry and I have been reporting issues for a long time, and we met with Essex Police and Thurrock Council in the summer of this year to review ideas of how we can stop bikers evading the police when they are reported and seen.

"We've been supported a lot by council leader Cllr Rob Gledhill too, who has helped forge the positive efforts between police and council.

"It isn't only the noise that's an issue, it's the public safety – only recently I was walking on a green space in the ward, when a motorcyclist decided to drive less than 2m past me, on a normal Sunday afternoon. Had he or she lost control, at least one of us would have been terribly hurt – and that's happening to too many residents and families in the area, and needs to stop.

"There are some good plans coming to fight this fight.

"We saw on the walkabout the efforts commercial property owners are going to, to stop break-ins and the use of their land; and the access of public land through their property.

"Stanford-le-Hope has been high-up on the focus-areas for policing colleagues, thanks largely to residents who report this issue; either to the police directly or through us as the local ward councillors. This has helped policing colleagues to target this off-roading activity – and with the new plans beginning to take shape, this intelligence will be very helpful in further making a difference."

Cllr Piccolo said: "We encourage all residents who witness unsafe, illegal off-roading driving, to report to 101. It has made a difference, and helps the police build a case for new inventive ways to tackle the off-road biker issue."