North Lanarkshire Council and Strathclyde Police quite literally got on their bikes today (Monday 27 March) to reinforce the message that the irresponsible and illegal use of scramble and quad bikes will not be tolerated in North Lanarkshire.

Representatives from the council, police and North Lanarkshire Scramble and Quad Bikes Club (NLSQBC) were in North Motherwell to see the latest weapon in the fight against illegal biking in the area - Strathclyde Police's very own off-road bikes. These are being used in a wide variety of locations and areas throughout Strathclyde and are proving to be a big hit.

Although the nuisance of scramble and quad bikes on public footpaths, roads, green spaces and in country parks is very much a national issue, North Lanarkshire has taken the lead in developing a solution that works for local communities, politicians and - crucially - for the bikers themselves.

As a result, the North Lanarkshire Trail Bikes Initiative was established in 2002, with the aim of helping rid local communities of antisocial, irresponsible and illegal bike riding. The partners in the initiative are North Lanarkshire Council, Strathclyde Police, the Scottish Auto Cycle Union (SACU - the national governing body for biking activity) and NLSQBC.

The initiative has already proved to be a great success with the establishment of a working group, the appointment of a temporary project development officer, the submission of the planning application for a biking centre of excellence in Forrestburn, the creation of a temporary facility at Balbeckie Bing, and the development of NLSQBC.

The use of the police off-road bikes is the latest development in the initiative and has an increasingly important role to play as more and more off-road machines are sold every year.

The bikes are being used in pursuit of those committing offences on their own bikes and have already proved to be a success. Inspector Graham Shivas of Strathclyde Police motorcycle section said: "The off-road bikes are a great asset to us in the fight against the criminal and antisocial use of off-road motorcycles and quad bikes."

Councillor Bill Martin, Vice-Convener of North Lanarkshire Council's Community Services Committee, was instrumental in establishing both the trail bikes initiative and NLSQBC, which now has more than 300 members and supported by around 200 adult volunteers.

He said: "We know that this initiative has made a difference and we want to continue doing just that. In just over three years, we have helped reduce the number of complaints about illegal biking and helped create a community of responsible, trustworthy and safety-conscious bikers.

"Links have been established between the club and Motherwell College, resulting in the provision of night-school classes on bike maintenance. And the club has developed and established the first youth training programme for recreational and off-road biking, which is being adopted as the national training requirement standard.

"This has been complemented further by the establishment of a youth citizenship programme and the work carried out at local schools in conjunction with the community police and council staff.

"The use of the police scramble bikes will take this to the next level and show those who choose to act illegally and irresponsibly that we mean business."

Chief Inspector Mike Dougall, Strathclyde Police Deputy Sub-Divisional Officer for Motherwell, added: "In this area, we have taken a very proactive approach to this problem and have implemented a dedicated action plan to tackle problem bikers, which includes the use of the force's off-road bikes.

"One of the main issues is that people look on these vehicles as toys, and that is not the case at all. These are powerful vehicles that are covered by road traffic legislation and can cause a great deal of damage or injury.

"Thanks to our action plan, we are tackling this issue head-on and this is making a difference and showing the minority who choose to ride their bikes illegally and irresponsibly that this will not be tolerated. Offenders' bikes will be seized, and we are currently holding two mini motos and a scooter - which were being used illegally - for production in court.

"The partnership we have formed with the council and NLSQBC is proving to be a great success and I look forward to it continuing."

Bob Reid, Chairperson of NLSQBC, concluded: "Collectively, we are making real progress here and are delivering on our commitments to communities across North Lanarkshire. The partnership work in this area is seen as a terrific example of how to tackle problem bikers and this is creating a win-win situation for everyone involved.

"It's terrific to see so many young people enjoying their sport in a safe, supervised and legal environment and the number of complaints received by the police in relation to scramble bike activity has fallen dramatically - these are the true measures of our success.

"We are all very proud of what has been achieved to date and, based on what we have seen today, our achievements will continue to grow and grow."

ends