Off Road Bikers Could be Tracked by Drones

Walsall Council considers investing in drones as a response to hundreds of complaints about off-road bikers.

05:42 12 December 2022

Walsall Council has confirmed plans to buy drones as it seeks solutions to dealing with nuisance off-road bikers. According to reports, West Midlands Police has received a total of 777 complaints from residents urging the local authority to take actions to track offenders. 

Paul Gordon, the council's director of resilient communities, said: "These are deadly machines in the wrong hands," 

He added: "We're gathering lots of data and we're starting to get the evidence together to be able to deal with this in a proactive way. The message from ourselves is 'we're coming to get you and your bikes'," he said.

Ch Supt Phil Dolby, of Walsall police, said: "Off-road bikes and the way they are being ridden at the moment is totally unacceptable, frustrating and very dangerous,"said Ch Supt Dolby. "What's quite tricky for us is a tactical response that doesn't lead to injuries to the public, these people or my officers either being injured or in court."

Councillor Garry Perry, deputy leader for resilient communities, said he had also received more than 100 reports, largely of noise nuisance and intimidation, from residents in the Pelsall area.

"You have those who just have [bikes] for recreational use but you have another type who use those vehicles on the road without helmets and often with their faces covered," he said.