Stone PCSO Jenny Ludlow-Smith has caught up with three people in the town recently who have been riding mini-motorbikes on canal towpaths. Here’s an update from Jenny – and an appeal for people to report any incidents
When I first started as a PCSO in Stone about two months ago I had information passed to me at a coffee morning of bikes riding up and down the canal towpath.
Since then I’ve caught up with three different riders and issued the first stage of a Section 59 warning. This is legislation under the Road Traffic Act which states that any vehicle being ridden in a manner that has/or is likely to cause alarm, harassment or distress can be acted on.
The vehicle and rider are subject to firstly a warning, but should they continue we can then seize the bike. In certain circumstances we can also seize the vehicle for having no insurance as most of these types of bike are not road legal.
But it’s all about catching them in the act! I’ve been raising awareness through Twitter, the boat yards, boat owners and residents of the Priory Estate, encouraging people to call the police non-emergency number when it’s happening on 101. A description of the bike and rider all help too. The main hotspots seem to be the Priory estate, Weavers Lane and the canal towpath.
If you’re on Twitter you can follow Jenny at @StonePCSO. If you’re not, you can still have a look at how Jenny’s using Twitter by clicking here.
