Off-road bikes seized in raids in North Solihull

DAWN RAID: Police impounded more than a dozen vehicles

FOUR off-road bikes have been seized from an industrial unit in Chelmsley Wood as part of a police crackdown on boy racers.
Yesterday morning (Monday), officers swooped on addresses across Birmingham, Solihull and the wider West Midlands, seizing a total of 14 vehicles.
The operation got underway at 5am, when a warrant was issued at an undisclosed address in Castle Bromwich.
This was followed by a string of other raids, including the move on the premises in Chelmsley Wood.
It was the latest phase of Operation Wraithbane, which was set up specifically to tackle the illegal rallies which have caused chaos on local roads in recent years. Main routes, including the Collector Road, are among those where problems have been reported.
Insp Andy Bridgewater, who led the latest action, said: "We’ve seen off-road bikers clogging up roads, intimidating motorists, jumping red lights, pulling stunts in the street and putting pedestrians in danger.
"Some of the video footage we’ve captured has been truly shocking: bikers ramping up kerbs and speeding along pavements…sometimes just yards away from school children. It’s totally unacceptable and I sympathise with anyone that’s been inconvenienced by these groups.
"We’re taking firm action against offenders: 53 have been arrested and seven have now been charged with public nuisance offences. The rest are on bail and also face being taken to court."
The event came almost 12 months to the day since an infamous 'Ride Out' on Halloween night last year. A gang of around 200 riders descended on local roads, hurling fireworks at other vehicles and at one stage attacking a police van in Yorkminster Drive, Chelmsley Wood.
Police warned that anyone thinking of taking part in a similar event this evening would be met with a swift response from the force.