Off-road vehicle seized

Days after the launch of  the anti social behaviour campaign SpringWatch police have seized an off road bike in Parr, St. Helens.

Parr March JPG



One of the problems in the borough is the number of off road vehicle incidents at this time of year.  The hard hitting campaign with a tag line of Off road is off limits has set out to beat last years success.

In 2013 there was an 18 per cent drop in the total number of anti-social behaviour incidents reported to Merseyside Police in April - down from 538 to 478 - compared with the previous year.

And with nights already getting lighter, campaign organisers are keen to ensure everyone is aware of the drive to tackle grass fires, off-road vehicle nuisance, neighbourhood nuisance and dog fouling - all of which tend to increase when the clocks go forward.

But to ensure the campaign is effective, members of the public are being asked to play their part too - as St Helens Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Housing, Planning and Community Safety, Councillor Richard McCauley explained: "We're asking residents to be our eyes and ears - so we can all help keep St Helens safe and clean this spring," he said.

 "When you see off-road vehicles out causing a nuisance in the community, or anyone looking to set a nuisance fire in parks, please report it to the Police on 101. This type of behaviour will not be tolerated, and the police will seize off-road vehicles and take legal action on arson."

As usual, the SpringWatch campaign is a joint initiative involving St Helens Council, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, Merseyside Police and registered social landlords like Helena Partnerships.

As well as stepping up police patrols in hot-spot locations, a wide-range of youth activities will be on offer through St Helens Council's Youth Service and Sports Development Service to keep young people entertained over the Easter holidays.
Helena Partnerships and Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service will be inviting 200 young people along to a community event at St Helens Community Fire Station as part of this year's Springwatch campaign working with partners across St Helens.

Anyone who is concerned about anti-social behaviour in their area is asked to contact Merseyside Police via the non-emergency 101 number or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

To find out about the activities available for young people this spring go to http://yaz.sthelens.gov.uk/
For more information about the spring anti-social behaviour campaign, please visit: www.safersthelens.org.uk