Local MP Lisa Smart has called for more police resources to help tackle illegal offroad bikes.

The Hazel Grove MP pointed out that while police have sufficient powers to make arrests, the problem is in catching the illegal bikes and their riders.

She therefore said that police should have more resources at their disposal to better catch riders.

"My local police officers tell me the challenge in tackling these off-road bikes isn't a lack of powers but it's the difficulty of gathering evidence, and the tools to identify and actually catch offenders, who often evade them on these bikes", Ms Smart said.

It comes after the government introduced more powers for police to tackle illegal bikes. However, Ms Smart said: "The powers to seize bikes are worthless if the police can't get to them – and that's what is missing so far from the Government's proposals."

Greater Manchester Police recently introduced a special unit dedicated to tackling offroad bikes (Image - GMP)

She added: "Across my constituency, whether it's in Heaviley, Woodley, Marple or High Lane, illegal off-road bikers are a persistent blight.

"They are intimidating people, endangering public safety and being generally noisy, anti-social and really annoying.

"I'm one of many residents in the area who see these bikes, without licence plates, with riders in balaclavas, speeding around dangerously, and causing havoc.

"Police struggle to go after them because chases can endanger other road users, and because they escape down paths and across fields where police can't easily follow."

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