Police have struck a blow against riders of illegal e-bikes who “intimidate other road users” in York.
Officers say Operation Pendulum comes in response to many calls in from residents who are alarmed by anti-social riding in the city.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “These bikes are frequently ridden in a manner that intimidates road users and causes nuisance within the city centre and surrounding suburbs.
“Operating an e‑bike that is not registered for lawful road use constitutes a criminal offence. Individuals who do so risk prosecution and the permanent seizure of the bike.”
Officers were deployed in a mix of unmarked vehicles, unmarked bikes, and on foot. Less than 30 minutes after the operation began, an unmarked roads policing unit spotted an illegal Sur-Ron being ridden on Fifth Avenue.
“The rider mounted the pavement and headed towards the police vehicle, prompting the officer to use tactical contact to stop the bike,” the spokesperson said.
Our picture above shows what a ‘tactical contact’ means.
The rider fled on foot but was detained shortly afterwards. A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary, handling stolen goods, robbery, and drug driving.
Seized cycles will be scrapped and the materials from the bikes will be recycled.
Chief Constable Tim Forber from North Yorkshire Police said: “We receive a lot of calls from residents who are fed up with anti-social bike use. We hear you. It’s not acceptable, and we’re doing something about it-binning them.
“In York today we have a dedicated team using specialist equipment to stop these riders in their tracks.
“I’m also aware that some people don’t fully understand the legislation, which is why alongside our enforcement work we’ve been speaking to hundreds of school children today to explain the law around these bikes.”
Drug raids
Elsewhere, officers executed two warrants in Tang Hall and Acomb as part of ongoing work to tackle the supply and use of illegal drugs.
Rural crime also came under the spotlight. The Rural Task Force, Roads Policing Group and Neighbourhood Policing teams carried out after‑dark deployments across villages in the south of Selby, providing large numbers of officers who were targeting offenders using the rural road network.
n total officers made 25 arrests, seized suspected illegal drugs as well as dangerous weapons from the streets of York and Selby.
Operation Tornado continues to bring together teams from across the force to target the issues that matter most to our communities – and yesterday’s results show exactly why.
Chief Inspector Ryan Chapman from North Yorkshire Police said: “Once again, we were pleased to welcome Operation Tornado back to York and Selby. These days of action allow us to bolster our everyday policing with additional resources and specialist teams which help us achieve results for our communities.”
