6 July 2026
Illegal off-road bikes are being taken off the streets across Teesside after a new Cleveland Police taskforce seized 33 vehicles in its first month of operation – backed by extra Government funding and stronger powers introduced since Labour took office.
The specialist team was launched to target the criminal use of off-road bikes, quad bikes, Surrons, mini motos and e-scooters linked to crime and anti-social behaviour. Working alongside neighbourhood policing teams, councils, housing providers and local communities, officers have already seized dozens of vehicles.
The new task force comes as Cleveland Police benefit from increased investment by the Labour Government. Since July 2024, the force has received an additional £7.4 million in Government funding, alongside £2.39 million through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to recruit 20 new police officers, 31 PCSOs and 12 Special Constables. Labour has also strengthened police powers by removing the requirement for officers to issue a warning before seizing vehicles being used antisocially, allowing illegal bikes to be taken off the streets immediately where the legal test is met.
Luke Myer MP has repeatedly raised concerns about illegal off-road bikes in Parliament, calling to “ensure that these bikes are seized and crushed, and that our streets are made safe again” (Hansard, March 2025) and with the police.
Luke Myer MP said:
“Illegal off-road bikes make life a misery for many people. They intimidate residents, damage green spaces, put pedestrians at risk and are too often linked to wider criminality such as organised crime and drugs gangs.
“People rightly want to see tougher enforcement, and that’s exactly why it’s welcome to see Cleveland Police’s new task force already taking dozens of illegal bikes off our streets.
“Alongside extra funding for neighbourhood policing and stronger powers to seize these vehicles immediately, this is exactly the kind of visible policing people have been asking for. I’ll continue working with residents and Cleveland Police to make sure these bikes are taken off our streets and kept off them.”