Drones to track Walsall's off-road bikers

A council is considering buying drones to deal with nuisance off-road bikers following hundreds of complaints.

In the past 12 months West Midlands Police has received 777 reports from residents in Walsall.

Walsall Council says the technology could help police gather evidence to track offenders and seize their motorbikes.

"These are deadly machines in the wrong hands," said Paul Gordon, the council's director of resilient communities.

Mr Gordon added the problem with off-road bikes spanned the borough but there were "corridors of activity where we would want to take targeted action", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"We're gathering lots of data and we're starting to get the evidence together to be able to deal with this in a proactive way. The message from ourselves is 'we're coming to get you and your bikes'," he said.

Ch Supt Phil Dolby, of Walsall police, said the West Midlands force did have use of drone technology but this was shared across the area, with demand high.

"Off-road bikes and the way they are being ridden at the moment is totally unacceptable, frustrating and very dangerous,"said Ch Supt Dolby. "What's quite tricky for us is a tactical response that doesn't lead to injuries to the public, these people or my officers either being injured or in court."

Police were "coming around to" the use of drone footage to track offenders, confiscate and crush vehicles, he added.

Walsall Council figures reveal a further 57 complaints of anti-social biking to its community protection team in the past 12 months.

Councillor Garry Perry, deputy leader for resilient communities, said he had also received more than 100 reports, largely of noise nuisance and intimidation, from residents in the Pelsall area.

"You have those who just have [bikes] for recreational use but you have another type who use those vehicles on the road without helmets and often with their faces covered," he said.

Walsall Council leader Mike Bird said his cabinet would look into financing a drone for the police to use solely in the borough.

"We've got to stop this. It is an invest to save," Mr Bird added.

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