Eight arrests made as police continue crackdown on off-road bikes.

SEIZED: Police posted this photo on Twitter during the operation 

POLICE swooped on addresses around Solihull yesterday (Friday) as part of an ongoing crackdown on off-road bikes.

Officers confirmed that eight people had been arrested during the operation, with five vehicles seized in the exercise.

Incidents of bikes tearing around public roads and local parks traditionally increase during the summer months and the operation follows a flood of complaints from local residents.

Kingshurst - where there have been regular reports of racing in Babbs Mill Park - was among the areas targeted.

Chief Insp Jack Hadley, who provided live updates on Twitter during the operation, encouraged Other Side of Solihull readers to provide information about offences being committed in their area.

"The more we have, the more we can do," he said.

If you can help police with their inquiries, call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Analysis: In recent years, reports of people illegally riding quad bikes and mini-motos have become a frequent cause for concern in both North Solihull and the wider borough. There have been particular fears about the dangers of bikes tearing along pavements and racing in open parkland. There is also the fact that the sight of a large group of riders, often with their faces covered, is extremely intimidating for local people. One resident, commenting on Facebook yesterday, reported that bikes riding around after dark had woken up her children on a number of occasions. No wonder then that councillors have identified the problem as one of the main issues raised on the doorstep.

The difficulty of course is catching the culprits and, at a recent Solihull Council meeting, concerns were raised that residents often felt that the authorities weren't doing enough to respond to their calls. Yesterday police were keen to send a message that they would go after offenders and numerous photos emerged on Twitter of bikes being loaded onto the back of lorries. Pending further investigation, these vehicles could well be crushed.