SIX off-road vehicles have been seized by police in Barnsley as part of an operation to crackdown on antisocial behaviour.

Officers from the force’s motorcycle and rural crime team, roads policing unit and safer neighbourhoods completed an operation on Saturday.

Using local intelligence and information submitted by members of the community, officers focused on known hotspot areas, where off-road bike (ORB) antisocial behaviour (ASB) is unfortunately higher than other areas.

During the operation, officers were focused on removing illegal bikes from the streets, reducing noise and disruption in residential areas, preventing injuries and potential fatalities and holding riders accountable under the law.

In total, five ORBs and one off-road quad bike were seized, with six traffic offence reports (TORs) issued, and one summons issued for excess speed.

Sergeant Rebecca Fleming said: “We know off-road bikes cause real concern in our communities.

“Not only do they create excessive noise ASB when they are driven erratically, but they also pose a real risk to public safety.

“Many of these bikes we seize are driven without insurance or a licence, and are used in illegal activity such as ruining local parks, farmers’ lands and crops.

“We urge parents to think twice before purchasing these bikes for young people, and we ask the public to continue reporting sightings of illegal riding.

“Your information helps us take action.”