ON Friday afternoon, after hours of kids riding on motorbikes on Carter's Fields, someone phoned the police.
The police turned up. On arriving, the motorbike had run out of petrol on the field 20 yards from the police car.
Upon seeing the police, the lad on the bike, who had a pot on his leg, tried desperately to start the bike but could not because it w
as out of petrol.
The officer, still sitting in the car, watched as a 12-year-old boy walked past the car with a petrol can in his hand.
The policeman wound his window down and had a conversation with the boy, then proceeded to let him carry on his way with the petrol to refill the bike.
Was the boy old enough to have petrol cans on him?
He filled up the bike as the officer got out of the car and watched and let them ride off on the bike.
He then walked on the field 10 minutes later and watched it disappear into the horizon.
Now, two things puzzle me. Why did he let a 12-year-old walk past him with a petrol can?
The police keep telling the public they are taking measures to stop kids on playing fields with bikes and noisy behaviour. Well, after witnessing this incident, I think it's a load of rubbish.
Do the police have the power to seize such motorbikes, especially as the kid is underage, and making a bloody nuisance of himself every night on the bike?
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- Insp Neil Money, of Batley Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "Under the Police Reform Act 2003 motorcycles that are on common land under such circumstances can be seized by the police after a warning has been given to the rider and a marker placed against the motorcycle.
"Therefore if the rider is on that or any other motorcycle then the motorcycle can be seized or if any other rider is on the motorcycle
with a marker against it then again the police can seize the motorcycle.
"If a motorcycle is on a road without insurance the police can seize it without a warning.
"The youth in question in relation to this incident has had a warning and a marker is against his motorcycle. We are now in a position to seize it should it be used in such circumstances again.
"An email to our website would assist if anyone sees the youth on it again."
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