“The reckless actions of these youths could have caused serious injury or worse”
A pedestrian was struck by a scrambler in West Belfast on Friday, police have said.
West Belfast Neighbourhood officers are now seeking witnesses to the incident, and dashcam footage to be brought forward. The incident happened “in the vicinity of the crossing at the Dairy Farm, Stewartstown Road” at around 3pm yesterday.
“Around six youths were riding scramblers in an obviously dangerous manner when the collision occurred,” a police statement read.
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“The reckless actions of these youths could have caused serious injury or worse. If you were in the Dairy Farm area at this time, did you witness this incident? If you have dashcam footage, we would urge you to check this and contact police with any information you can provide us with by calling 101 and quoting serial 877 of 13/03/2026.
“Due to the rise in offences involving e-bikes and scramblers, we also appeal to parents, if you know your child is a rider of one of these, please ensure they do not ride them illegally on the roads and in a dangerous manner which could potentially be fatal. Police are working alongside the community to help educate young people regarding the dangers of these bikes but we really need support from parents.
“Before you buy your child one of these bikes, please think twice as to whether they will be used in a safe and legal manner without causing a risk to the public and to themselves.”
Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker said “the issues of E-bikes/scramblers and scooters has continued to grow”.
In a statement posted on social media, he said: “This afternoon, a woman was struck by a scrambler/E-bike on the Stewartstown Road as she crossed the road at the Dairyfarm.
“Thankfully, she is okay but badly shaken up. We’ve worked over a number of years to try and reduce scrambling on our roads, including harm reduction programmes, active policing, and community awareness.
“However, the issues of E-bikes/scramblers and scooters has continued to grow, lads flying up and down in dark clothes and faces covered. Ultimately, responsibility falls to the people riding these high-powered bikes illegally, and when underage, which they often are, their parents.
“Parents really need to ask themselves – will it be your son that kills or seriously hurts someone or themselves? This happened at 3 p.m. and involved a group of around 5/6 bikes.
“Police have deployed resources to try and find those responsible but are appealing for dashcam and other footage to help catch those responsible. If you have anything that could be useful, please contact 101.”
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