This week, I have called for more to be done in stopping illegal motorbikes in Havering Country Park and Bedfords Park, both in “Havering Park” ward in North Romford
As the opposition spokesman for the Environment at Havering Council, I have called for more help from the Council and the Borough Police Commander in supporting the Safer Neighbourhood Team working in “Havering Park” ward in cracking down on illegal motorbikes.
I recently spent the day with the “Havering Park” ward SNT on an operation in Havering Country Park, seeing how they work and surporting their operation.
The SNT in “Havering Park” ward have been doing a good job to date, with operations at weekends in the parks, however they only have a limited number of officers and resources. Don’t forget that for every operation in the park with the team, days are lost on the beat during the week”
Despite Havering Council recently allocating £10k for a new steel fence for part of the park, it is only 150m long. “It is madness to pay all that money for such a short piece of fencing, in my view, it is a knee jerk reaction to a far bigger problem, the bikers will just go to another part of the park that does not have steel fencing. At that rate it would take over £1/2 million pounds to fence the whole park, however, as both parks have legal bridal paths, any gates would have to allow a horse, but not a motorbike, something so far the Council has not been able to resolve.
As someone that was brought up just a few hundred yards from the Country Park, I am concerned that someone will be seriously injured by a biker. We have lots of families with children, old people and horse riders using the park, if we do not stop this anti social behaviour soon and come down hard on any offenders, I am worried that they will not just be seriously injured, but we could see someone being killed.
As the opposition spokesman for the Environment at Havering Council, I have called for more help from the Council and the Borough Police Commander in supporting the Safer Neighbourhood Team working in “Havering Park” ward in cracking down on illegal motorbikes.
I recently spent the day with the “Havering Park” ward SNT on an operation in Havering Country Park, seeing how they work and surporting their operation.
The SNT in “Havering Park” ward have been doing a good job to date, with operations at weekends in the parks, however they only have a limited number of officers and resources. Don’t forget that for every operation in the park with the team, days are lost on the beat during the week”
Despite Havering Council recently allocating £10k for a new steel fence for part of the park, it is only 150m long. “It is madness to pay all that money for such a short piece of fencing, in my view, it is a knee jerk reaction to a far bigger problem, the bikers will just go to another part of the park that does not have steel fencing. At that rate it would take over £1/2 million pounds to fence the whole park, however, as both parks have legal bridal paths, any gates would have to allow a horse, but not a motorbike, something so far the Council has not been able to resolve.
As someone that was brought up just a few hundred yards from the Country Park, I am concerned that someone will be seriously injured by a biker. We have lots of families with children, old people and horse riders using the park, if we do not stop this anti social behaviour soon and come down hard on any offenders, I am worried that they will not just be seriously injured, but we could see someone being killed.