Sutton councillors have praised Met Police for responding to their calls about illegal motorcyclists on Roundshaw Downs.

It comes after a number of motorcyclists were reported for causing a "severe nuisance" to families living on the Roundshaw and Apeldoorn estates and in nearby Purley.

On April 29, Roundshaw’s Lib Dem councillor Mo Saqib held a meeting with the Met Police and both Croydon and Sutton Council, in a bid to crackdown on motorcyclists using public parks on the estates.

In response to the meeting, the Met Police increased patrols on the estate with the help of a CCTV vehicle loaned to them by Sutton Council.

After six weeks of additional patrols, police have:

  • Seized eight vehicles. In addition, 10 ‘Section 59’ notices were issued, warning a rider that their motorbike will be seized if it is caught again.
  • Four individuals were given a Community Protection Notice Warning for supporting the illegal motorbike riding. Five individuals were fined.
  • Two Traffic Offence Reports were issued, for driving a vehicle without insurance.
  • Four individuals were arrested- including one for possessing an offensive weapon (a Rambo-style knife), for which the suspect has been charged.

Your Local Guardian: Roundshaw Downs ( Credit: Google Maps)Roundshaw Downs ( Credit: Google Maps)

Councillor Mo Saqib said: “I want to say a huge thank you to our local Met Police for their patrols on the Roundshaw Downs over recent weeks.

"Motorbikes racing around the Downs are a menace to local residents out for a walk or a run. They also cause an unacceptable noise nuisance to residents living nearby.

"With the Met Police having £959 million of funding cut by Conservative ministers in recent years, I am pleased that Lib Dem-run Sutton Council loaned the police a CCTV vehicle to help deliver this tough action.”

Leader of Sutton Council, Ruth Dombey, commented: “I want to thank the police for all their impressive work despite their limited resources.

"No one living near the Roundshaw Downs should have to put up with this illegal motorbike riding.

"Residents should call 101 if they hear or see motorbikes riding on public parks- the tough police action in recent weeks sends a strong message to anyone thinking of flouting the law in this way.”