New barriers have been installed in a Nottinghamshire village to deter dangerous off-road bike users. Following reports of bikes travelling at high speeds and endangering members of the public, multiple agencies have worked together with local councillors to install the barriers in Cotgrave.
This includes Nottinghamshire Police, Rushcliffe Borough Council, Cotgrave Town Council and Nottinghamshire County Council and it has already led to a fall in reports of incidents. The installation of the barriers follows regular patrols of the area by local officers in addition to visits from Nottinghamshire Police's off-road bike team and drone unit to tackle dangerous, anti-social and criminal behaviour.
When asked about the issues with bikes in Cotgrave, dental nurse Kim Dickinson, 34, of Cotgrave, said: "I've not really noticed anything with bikes, it's more electric scooters at the minute. It's normally school kids, so I go to work and come back around half five and there's some out and they are on the roads, and they don't look when they are on the roads.
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"I don't agree with them (electric bikes) at all. I don't see the point of them at all, they're dangerous." A 33 year old who did not wish to be named said she doesn't think the new barriers will work.
She said: "I don't think it will stop them. There's one at the top of the alley near here, and they still go through them on the electric scooters and that's been there years.
"It is a nightmare." Many residents across Cotgrave are becoming frustrated with the issue.
An 89-year-old woman from Cotgrave who did not want to be named said: "It's a bloody nuisance." She said that she has seen bikes travelling down alleyways at high speeds and hears the bike noise blaring through her windows.
A 35-year-old mum who did not wish to be named lives close to one of the new barriers. She said: "Since they were put here they've hardly been down here. My dog doesn't like it, she always thinks there's a person there but the kids love it, they have been playing around with it.
"As long as it does the job. I just think about my kid's safety at the end of the day, as far as I've noticed it's got better."
Off road biking can be enjoyed on a number of motocross tracks that are open in Nottinghamshire and the surrounding areas. Nottinghamshire Police is encouraging enthusiasts to use these sites instead of public roads, pavements or bridle paths where some are committing offences and endangering members of the public.
PC Cai Kemish, beat manager for Cotgrave and Wiverton, said: "We’ve had a lot of reports from people about off road bikes being ridden along local footpaths and have worked in partnership with our local county councillor and others to put these new measures in place. This kind of behaviour isn’t just antisocial, it also poses a real risk to other members of the public.
"Hopefully these measures, when combined with our very proactive local policing, will help to lessen the impact of these bikes on the local community."
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