May 2025

New CCTV cameras, court-backed house closures and a crackdown on dangerous off-road bikes formed part of a wider push to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour in Netherfields and across East Middlesbrough this spring.

Ten new CCTV cameras have been installed in Netherfields following more than £80,000 of investment. The Labour Police & Crime Commissioner has also funded extra street warden patrols and youth work in the area. Earlier in the year, specialist neighbourhood teams secured a series of closure orders on properties linked to persistent antisocial behaviour and criminality in Cadwell Close and Elkington Walk.

In March, police and council teams also seized dozens of illegal off-road bikes from estates across Netherfields. In one incident, a rider abandoned a bike after trying to evade officers on Cargo Fleet Lane. Another vehicle was seized after officers spotted it leaving an address in Penistone Road. The issue has been repeatedly raised by Luke in Parliament to secure more resources for Cleveland Police. Recently in Parliament Luke pressed Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson on the problem, saying: “Every single week, I hear about this issue from constituents“, and demanded assurance that with new powers and funding, “these bikes are seized and crushed, and that our streets are made safe again.”

The Labour Government’s Crime and Policing Bill includes tougher powers to seize nuisance off-road bikes and vehicles, new Respect Orders targeting repeat antisocial behaviour offenders, stronger neighbourhood policing measures and action to crack down on violence and retail crime as part of its wider Safer Streets mission.