Police seized nine off-road bikes and made a string of arrests after gangs of Covidiots turned empty city roads “into race tracks”.
West Midlands Police said the yobs were “running amok” on Birmingham’s highways over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Traffic cops, including officers on motorbikes as well as the force helicopter tracked the louts and over three days seized nine bikes and arrested four men, including a teenager.
Four of the confiscated bikes, which included quad bikes and scramblers, were found to be stolen.
Police said they “come down hard on Covidiots were tried turning deserted streets into race tracks”.
Traffic Unit
Sergeant Mitch Darby, from the force Traffic Unit, said: “The majority of people are behaving responsibly and staying at home to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“But there are some who seemed to think the unusually quiet roads was an opportunity to ride dangerously and anti-socially.
“We’d planned for the prospect and had significant numbers of police bikers out over the long weekend, while the police helicopter was hovering above to offer support.
“Our efforts continue on Easter Monday and throughout the lock down period.
“And our message is clear to any off-road bikers caught riding irresponsibly: you face being arrested, we’ll seize your bike and apply to the courts to confiscate and crush it.”
The arrests included a 25-year-old man pursued in Wolverhampton on Friday before being arrested on suspicion of failing to stop for police and dangerous driving.
On Saturday traffic cops intercepted an off-road bike gathering in Victoria Road in Birmingham city centre.
Two were stopped and reported for riding without licences or insurance; their bikes were seized for destruction.
Another sped off on board an orange KTM but was tracked by our eye-in-the-sky and caught by an officer in Grosvenor Road, Aston, after the bike was dumped.
A 22-year-old man from Alum Rock was arrested and later charged with dangerous driving, failing to stop for police and other motoring offences.
Bailed
He was bailed and will appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court on May 11.
Later in the day, three off-road bikes were pursued in the Bromford area.
Two dirt bikes and a quad were recovered and checks on police systems revealed two were stolen.
A 33-year-old man from Bromford was arrested and a 29-year-old summonsed to appear at court for driving with no licence and no insurance.
A black moped was seized on Sunday and a 15-year-old boy arrested after it was spotted being ridden anti-socially on parkland in Shard End.
The teenager was charged with having no licence or insurance and breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order.
A blue Sinis Spirit was recovered following a pursuit in Weoley Castle but the rider managed to escape on foot.
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