MP calls for tough action on anti-social behaviour in Peterborough
“We need to take this sort of anti-social behaviour seriously - local residents shouldn’t have to put up with it.”
A call for urgent action to tackle anti-social behaviour in Peterborough has been made – with emphasis on the use of off-road bikes and e-scooters.
The appeal came from Sam Carling, MP for North West Cambridgeshire, speaking in Parliament recently.
Residents across Peterborough have repeatedly raised concerns about illegal riding on pavements and through public spaces, posing a significant risk to public safety.
Speaking in debates in Parliament this week, Carling highlighted the frustration of local communities who feel unsafe in their own neighbourhoods due to reckless riders.
“My constituents regularly raise concerns about their safety when they are out and about, given the prevalence of off-road bikes being used in anti-social and illegal ways, particularly on pavements and footpaths,” he said.
“Such bikes are a particularly significant issue for elderly people, who might be less mobile and are therefore more likely to be involved in a collision with one.
“I also get regular reports of anti-social behaviour in Pleasure Fair Meadow car park and Stanham Way, relating to the screeching of tyres from motorbikes, loud music until the early hours of the morning and constant instances of drugs and anti-social drinking. We need to take this sort of anti-social behaviour seriously wherever it’s happening, and local residents shouldn’t have to put up with it.”
Labour’s new Crime and Policing Bill will ensure immediate enforcement action can now be taken. Under the proposed measures, police will no longer be required to issue a warning before seizing and destroying nuisance vehicles, making it much easier to prevent repeat offending.
The plan to recruit 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs will also strengthen enforcement and provide a visible police presence to deter crime. Carling welcomed this move, emphasising that local police need both the resources and the powers to act.
While responding to the debates, Rt Hon Diana Johnson MP, Minister for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention, said: "As part of our plan for change, we are delivering a wide-ranging safer streets mission. A central part of that mission is tackling anti-social behaviour, with a particular emphasis on improving the police response, alongside tougher powers to tackle perpetrators.
“Over the last decade, we have seen a decline in neighbourhood policing to such an extent that many of the bonds of trust and respect between the police and local communities have been damaged. Through our neighbourhood policing guarantee, we will restore patrols to town centres and ensure that every community has a named neighbourhood officer to turn to.”
She added: “Under these new measures, persistent adult perpetrators of anti-social behaviour will face tough restrictions such as bans on entering the areas where they have been behaving anti-socially, such as town centres or other public places. Anyone found breaching a respect order could also face being arrested and could end up behind bars.”