Male arrested and scrambler bike seized in Bootle

A male has been arrested after officers spotted a scrambler bike mount a pavement in Bootle on Monday (13 January).

Two males wearing balaclavas were seen on Church Walk at about 8.20pm, before mounting the pavement and riding through bollards.

On seeing police, the riders abandon the bike and run away.

Officers pursued them on foot and a man was detained at the junction of Derby Road and Chapel Terrace.

A 15-year-old male from Bootle was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, driving a motor vehicle without third party insurance and driving a motor vehicle without a valid driving licence. He has been released under investigation.

Inspector Bernie McHugh said: “The risk of bikes being ridden anti-socially and dangerously can be devastating, and our Roads Policing Unit work hard alongside Local Policing teams to proactively stop people from taking their own safety and that of others into their own hands.

"When incidents are spotted or reported, officers utilise a wide variety of tactics to pursue offenders, ranging from pursuits, stops sticks, drones and partnership work with the National Police Air Support (NPAS) helicopter. All are carried out by highly trained specialists, with the safety of other road users paramount at all times.

"However, the safest way to deal with the problem is always to identify where suspected stolen or illegally used vehicles are stored, so we can seize them before any damage is done on the roads.

"We proactively respond to all intelligence about stolen vehicles, and I encourage anyone with information to let us know so we can take positive action. 

"Each and every seizure like this one prevents further risk on the roads. If you have any information about suspected stolen or illegally owned/ridden scrambler bikes or illegal electric motorcycles, please contact us via @MerPolCC, 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress, when it is safe to do so."