Northumbria Police have seized a stolen motorbike in South Shields as the force continues a crackdown on "irresponsible" riders.
This comes after members of the public alerted officers to anti-social behaviour in the Temple Park area, and riders who were allegedly behaving dangerously. A police helicopter and number of officers were deployed to the scene - and this led to a motorbike being tracked from the area to the Harton Moor estate.
There two people allegedly dumped the bike near a block of flats - but the officers' teamwork helped them to recover the bike, which was confirmed to have been stolen.
Pc Thomas Scott of Northumbria Police, said: "This was a fantastic piece of teamwork between officers on the ground and our brilliant colleagues at NPAS who were our eyes in the sky. We know that motorcycle disorder is an area of concern for many residents, and as a force, we are committed to taking swift and robust action against riders who are involved in anti-social behaviour and wider disorder.
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"Thankfully in this case, we were able to track the bike which had been stolen and the net is now tightening on those responsible. Enquiries are ongoing to trace all those involved.
"This incident also highlights how the public can play an important role to help us deal with these issues. We need to know where these bikes are being stored overnight, in order for us to take swift action and take them off our streets."
Pc Scott urged the public to inform the police if they knew of anyone suspected to be involved in "motorbike disorder" or knew where stolen motorbikes may be stored. To do so, contact police via the Tell Us Something page of the force website or by calling 101. Witnesses can also share information anonymously via independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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