New Darlington safety plan agreed to catch off-road bikes

Darlington Borough Council has developed the plan based on four key priorities, following conversations with residents.  

Other priorities include improving community cohesion as well as tackling drugs and substance misuse, domestic abuse and sexual violence.

It comes as the local authority is working with Durham Constabulary to cut crime across the town and make the area safer. 

A recent residents’ survey found concerns over personal safety had increased in the past year due to a rise in local incidents. Around 78 per cent of respondents to a recent survey felt incidents of anti-social behaviour had increased over the past 12 months. 

Almost 60 per cent of respondents also felt that incidents of overall crime had increased. 

Off-road bikes are at the centre of the majority of residents’ complaints, councillors said. 

Councillor Heather Scott, of Park West ward, said several roads in the area had become “rat-runs” and were frequently used by vehicles. 

She added: “Residents are afraid to go out because of the number of off-road bikes in the area. People have been threatened and abused by these people on off-road bikes. 

“It is a major issue and the police are under great stress to deal with it.”

Darlington’s MP Lola McEvoy previously called for new powers to stop balaclava-wearing gangs plaguing residents and suggested £100 fines be issued to anyone caught wearing face coverings to intimidate people. 

And Jonathan Dulston, Conservative leader and Eastbourne ward member, said the police should step up their work to prevent the complaints. 

He said: “Bikers are driving at high speeds in built-up areas in parks and on pavements.

“The police need to acknowledge that, unless they change their approach and start responding to the threats the public is seeing, they are never going to solve this problem.”

The authority’s latest Community Safety Plan was agreed by members at Thursday’s full council meeting, and covers the period between 2026 and 2029.

What do you think needs to be done to tackle the scourge of off-road bikes? Have your say in the comments.