Off-road bikes and associated anti-social behaviour is causing significant disruption to the community. Residents have told us about the damage to green spaces and vehicles, the noise, and the fear these bikes cause when ridden dangerously on roads and through parks.

To tackle this, we have launched Operation Transom in partnership with Stoke-on-Trent City Council. This involves the neighbourhood policing team, roads policing unit, local authority anti-social behaviour (ASB) team, and dedicated communications support. The goal is clear: to identify offenders, take enforcement action, and reassure the public through visible and proactive policing.

As part of our ongoing work, we have carried out—and will continue to arrange—targeted days of action. These operations include the use of drones, NPAS (police helicopter), a fixed-wing aircraft, and specially trained officers using off-road bikes. This allows us to safely pursue and apprehend offenders, even in hard-to-reach areas.

Tackling motorbike and moped theft.

Operation Alcaic is a newly launched initiative focused on tackling the rising theft of motorbikes and mopeds across the city. We now have a dedicated officer leading on this priority, and early results have already seen several key arrests.

This operation closely links with our ongoing work under Operation Transom, targeting anti-social behaviour involving nuisance motorbikes. We are working in close partnership with our Roads Policing Team, using specialist tactics, NPAS (police helicopter), and drone technology to identify and apprehend offenders.

These crimes are not only causing financial loss and distress to victims but also endangering the lives of both the offenders and other road users. We remain committed to taking robust enforcement action and encourage all residents to secure their bikes, keep them out of sight where possible, and report any suspicious activity or intelligence to us.