Plan for borough wide ban on anti-social riders moves forward but legal loopholes will need to be plugged

THOUGH there are legal hoops to jump through, a borough councillor's longstanding campaign to call time on nuisance bikers who have caused fatal accidents in the borough may soon bear fruit.

Conservative Cllr Joy Redsell has been consistently on the front foot over recent years in calling for the police and council to do more to combat rogue riders who cause a threat to life and limb with their illegal activities on borough roads and particularly open spaces including parks.

The councillor for Little Thurrock and Blackshots put forward a motion at the recent full council meeting which won approval, though there is some way to go to make it a reality.

Her plan, backed by councillors is to bring in a borough-wide Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to target nuisance bikers.

The problem has been growing for some time and has seen police target hotspots in the borough with some success, but Cllr Redsell said more needs to be done to eradicate the problem once and for all.

At the council meeting it was agreed the motion will go to cabinet but time constraints on the meeting meant it couldn't be debated.

Cllr Redsell said: "They have agreed to look at and it will go to cabinet. I think it will be alright. We have got to work between the police and the council on what is a borough wide nuisance.

"We already have a PSPO in Blackshots field to stop drinking and that's worked well. It has to a borough thing with everyone working together. Two people have been killed and one maimed last year so they can't say we'll do it if people get killed."

Cllr Redsell's motion said: "Irresponsible riders of motorbikes and other similar vehicles misusing public and private land are putting our residents' lives and wellbeing at risk.

"I call on the relevant authority to implement a borough wide PSPO to prevent the unlawful use of these vehicles where the residents have lawful access. This will help protect residents across Thurrock and also make it easier for the police and council to take action."

PSPOs allow council officers to issue fines backed up by police if necessary.

Commenting on the motion, a council officer's report said the order may have to be targeted to specific areas.

It said: "It is very unlikely given the statutory guidance that a single order covering all open spaces within the borough equally will meet the necessary legal tests, however an order targeting those sites which are proportionate across the borough may meet the tests providing that the evidence supports this."