Operation Dragster returns to tackle off-road moorland riders in Rochdale
Operation Dragster, a joint initiative involving Rochdale North and East Neighbourhood Officers, Special Constabulary, community volunteers, and United Utilities, was conducted on 16 March 2025 to tackle unlawful and anti-social behaviour by off-road vehicles in rural Rochdale. The operation resulted in the seizure of three off-road bikes and two quad bikes, with riders reported for various offences. Additional incidents included damage to a farmer's fence, a vehicle seized for no insurance, and an arrest for drunk driving. Sergeant Brendan Walsh emphasized the commitment to enforcement and community safety.
Police Seize Off-Road Bikes in Rochdale Crackdown
Rochdale, 16 March 2025 - Officers seized three off-road bikes and arrested one rider on suspicion of drink-driving after a weekend operation targeting anti-social behaviour across rural parts of the borough.
Sgt Beth Walsh, of the Rochdale Neighbourhood Policing Team, said the action followed “a steady increase in organised groups of riders causing damage to farmers’ fields, fencing and footpaths used by legitimate walkers, cyclists and horse-riders”.
Section 59 Police Reform Act warnings were issued to all riders; two quad bikes and one trials bike were confiscated after they were seen being ridden erratically on farmland off Edenfield Road, near Norden.
A 25-year-old man from Accrington was stopped at the wheel of a supporting van shortly after 18:00 on Sunday; he failed a roadside breath test that showed him to be twice the legal limit and was arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit through drink. The van, which had been used to transport the bikes, was also seized for having no insurance.
No injuries were reported and no members of the public came into direct conflict with the riders, but officers said churned-up ground and broken boundary fencing had allowed livestock to stray onto neighbouring land.
Anyone with information about off-road bike nuisance or who can identify the riders involved is asked to call 101 quoting incident 814 of 16 March 2025.
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