Surrey Police now have further off-road capability with the addition of two motorbikes to tackle anti-social behaviour and criminality involving off-road vehicles in the local area. The bikes will enable officers to access hard to reach areas to enforce where offences are taking place and educate and engage with youths riding illegally. 

An initiative from the Borough Council, Surrey Police, the Surrey Crime & Police Commissioner and the Surrey County Council Epsom & Ewell Local Committee has resulted in the deployment of the bikes, after seeing an ongoing increase in the danger and damage done by such vehicles being ridden dangerously and illegally in Epsom and Ewell. 

All the agencies have received an increased number of complaints from the public about this behaviour. As well as the risk of injury to the public, this behaviour is damaging the local environment, including within the Hogsmill Local Nature Reserve. 

The Surrey Police, Epsom & Ewell safer neighbourhood team have been addressing the issue however it is difficult to police this behaviour on foot or by road vehicles which cannot follow the offenders. 

Surrey County Councillors John Beckett, Eber Kington and Jan Mason together with the Surrey Crime & Police Commissioner and Epsom & Ewell Community Safety Partnership have provided funding for the procurement of the two new off road motorcycles and associated equipment which will be used by Surrey Police Surrey Police have committed finance for the livery, ancillary equipment and officer training. 

Councillor John Beckett, who serves on both the Borough Council and the County Council said “At a time when Councils and the Police are seeing significant cuts in spending, we are making initiatives happen by working in partnership to find funds to tackle this selfish and undesirable behaviour.  Whilst the majority of residents’ concerns over this issue are to do with noise, if this behaviour continues it is only a matter of time before someone gets injured… or worse”. 

Sergeant Joe Barney, from the Epsom and Ewell Safer Neighbourhood Team, said:  “We would to thank Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, the Surrey Police Crime Commissioner and Doble motorcycles of Coulsdon for their help in getting this project off the ground.

 “I came up for the idea for this initiative in response to the amount of calls and complaints from local residents relating to anti-social behaviour involving of off-road motor vehicles.

“The bikes will enable officers to reach areas affected by the inappropriate use of off-road motor vehicles and offer the opportunity for us to both engage with those responsible and offer reassurance to those who have been affected. 

“I hope that our presence on the bikes will act as a deterrent to anyone considering improper behaviour in the area and I would like to reassure residents that Surrey Police will deal robustly with anyone found riding illegally. 

“We are delighted with the bikes and look forward to making the most of them in the drive to reducing crime and making the local neighbourhood safer for the residents of Epsom and Ewell.” 

The two new off road motorbikes were deployed for the first time this week.