Oldham streets and parks became a battlefield Thursday as police helicopters thundered overhead and motorcycle officers chased down riders who tore through playgrounds where children played, seizing four illegal e-bikes, a stolen car and making multiple arrests for drug-dealing and traffic crimes.

The daylight blitz led by GMP’s Operation Vulcan paired the National Police Air Service with the force’s motorcycle and roads-policing units to track every move of riders hitting “excessive speeds” and causing “several near-misses”, according to officers who authorised tactical stops once the riders’ routes were locked from the sky.

Inspector Dan Cullum, who commanded the operation, said: “We’re committed to tackling the growing issue of illegal e-bikes in Derker, and days like this show how we can make a real difference by deploying resources both on the ground and in the air. By flooding the streets and skies with resources, we will target offenders and offer our support to the community who are being affected by these issues.”

Beyond the seizures and arrests for drink- and drug-driving, teams knocked on doors to gather intelligence, logging six child-safeguarding referrals and preparing civil action against residents found storing petrol bikes in breach of tenancy agreements. “Our work is far from over and we will continue to monitor hotspot areas and take action to protect residents,” Cullum added, urging anyone who knows where anti-social bikes are kept or who is using them to commit crime to ring 101, 999 in an emergency, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

---

Source: Read original article