'Nuisance' Irthlingborough motorbike rider issued with anti-social behaviour warning letter
Efforts to clamp down on anti social motorbike nuisance in Irthlingborough have started with a formal letter from local police to a rider.
Officers responsible for keeping law and order in Irthlingborough have issued an anti-social behaviour warning letter to a person involved in the ‘ongoing’ motorbike nuisance.
PC Callum Hurst and PCSO Chris Burrows have responded to the ‘strength of feeling’ on the issue and explained they are taking the ‘incremental approach’ to enforcement.
In an update on the motorbike nuisance PC Hurst said: “Chris and I have issued an anti-social behaviour warning letter to a person in Irthlingborough involved in the ongoing motorbike nuisance in the town.
“I know this is appears to be a minor intervention but I believe it is better to keep you all updated on our efforts to show you what we are doing about the issues.
"A Warning Letter may seem like it is a minor intervention and you would like to see us do more, and I understand the strength of feeling on the issue.”
He explained in the letter published on Sunday (July 27) they are taking the incremental approach used for cases of anti-social behaviour – a warning letter is issued in the out-of-court stage, where police only require the ‘balance of probability’ as opposed to proving something beyond reasonable doubt for court.
He said: "As we escalate through the approach we would require CCTV and witness statements.
"Now that this letter has been issued to the individual, we have a foot on the ladder of the incremental approach. Hopefully this has the desired effect and the individual will cease their behaviour, but if they do not, then we can escalate our enforcement to the next stages.”
In the past month the team has issued two other anti-social behaviour warning letters and issued to notices to riders about their manner of driving under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002.
The out-of-court stage:
Advice – issued in a letter or verbally to highlight incidents of anti-social behaviour which have raised concern
Warning Letter – issued to highlight a person’s ongoing or more serious involvement in anti-social behaviour and request for this behaviour to stop
Final Warning Letter if required – A final warning to strongly suggest the behaviour stops before escalating into more serious interventions involving the courts
An acceptable behaviour contract can be considered at any stage to address a person’s anti-social behaviour and to support them in stopping this behaviour.
Anyone with information about motorcycles which are being ridden illegally in their area or any vehicle crime is asked to report it by calling Northants Police on 101 or you can make a report online at www.northants.police.uk/reportonline