Police in Shropshire have been criticised by local cyclists for taping off a grass area in the grounds of a village hall, which has reportedly been used by schoolchildren on mountain bikes as a ramp, sparking concerns about potential collisions with passing motorists.
According to officers based in the village of Baschurch, one of the children using the makeshift ramp entered the nearby road and almost collided with a driver this week, while there have also been reports of damage caused to both the grass and the temporary fencing installed to ward off the mountain bikers.
However, the police’s decision to clamp down on the “anti-social behaviour” – which includes carrying out “more high visibility patrols” and dealing “proactively” with offenders – has been criticised on social media, with one local cyclist sarcastically writing: “God forbid the children get outside and have some fun”.
This week, Oswestry and Ellesmere Police confirmed that they have received reports of “anti-social behaviour” from residents and local parents after youths were spotted riding their bikes on a raised grass bank, located within the grounds of Baschurch Village Hall on Eyton Lane, and close to the local pre-school.
The cyclists, who the police say are likely to attend Corbet School, the secondary school located next to the village hall, are said to be using the bank, which sits between the hall’s car park and the narrow lane outside, as a ramp, with some continuing onto the road and causing one reported near miss with a motorist.
In response, both the local police team and West Mercia Police issued statements condemning the “unacceptable behaviour”, which they say has left residents, parents, and visitors to the village hall concerned that “somebody will get seriously injured”.
Attempts to make the grass area less accessible, such as installing temporary fencing within the village hall grounds, have reportedly led to the young cyclists resorting to cutting through the fence, causing what the police described as “criminal damage”.
“We have been made aware of Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) occurring around the Baschurch Village Hall and preschool,” a spokesperson for West Mercia Police said this week.
“The grass area by Eyton Road is being used by pushbikes as a ramp. This has recently resulted in a pushbike entering the road and nearly causing an accident.
“If this does not stop somebody may get seriously injured. Action has been taken to place try and stop this, but whoever is using this area has been cutting through the material which potentially is an offence of criminal damage.”
Meanwhile, Oswestry and Ellesmere Police confirmed on Thursday that they had taped off the area around the grass bank in the latest attempt to ward off the young mountain bikers.
“Youths are using the raised grass area in the grounds of the Village Hall and close to the preschool on their mountain bikes causing damage to the grass and the temporary fencing to stop the ongoing issues,” the local police said.
“Residents, parents and carers of the young children at the preschool and visitors to the village hall are very concerned that there may be a collision and somebody will get seriously injured.
“Senior PCSO Roberts went to the location yesterday afternoon to assess the situation and tape off the offending area in an attempt to discourage the youths for returning, causing more damage and to keep the young children safe who attend the preschool.
“A request will be submitted to the local policing team for the area to ask if they would carry out high visibility patrols and deal proactively with any offenders.
“Corbet school have also been visited and they will ensure that pupils are spoken in their assemblies about causing anti-social behaviour and the impact it has on the community.”
West Mercia Police also called on people with “young family members who may be cycling around this area” to advise them that “this type of action is unacceptable and it must stop”.
“There are areas in Baschurch that are safe for cyclists that will not cause damage or distress to members of the public who use the area,” the spokesperson said.
The furore surrounding Baschurch’s makeshift natural mountain bike ramp isn’t the first time in recent years that young people have been accused of causing damage and distress while seeking out some makeshift cycling facilities.
Last July, a group of young cyclists in Lancashire were criticised by conservationists for allegedly causing “serious” damage to a nature reserve by digging up parts of the earth to create mountain bike jumps.
According to the Wildlife Trust, a section of wildflower meadow at Cross Hill Quarry, a former quarry site and green space located just outside Clitheroe, was dug up to create a number of small jumps, an act the Trust claimed was “unlawful”.
That criticism came around the same time children in South Wales were threatened by residents and stopped from entering a woodland which they had cleared of litter to use as a cycle track, which the local housing association claimed was anti-social behaviour that was causing “severe damage” to the area.
Throughout June, the group of local kids, all around primary school age, spent their weekends clearing rubbish from Garw Wood, which runs between houses in Croesyceiliog, a suburb of Cwmbran, to create a makeshift bike park.
However, at the end of the month, the Bron Afon community housing association fenced off the entrances to the ancient woodland, a decision it claimed was due to “anti-social behaviour in the area which has caused damage” – but which local parents have claimed was due to pressure from residents who had threatened and swore at the children.
32 thoughts on ““God forbid children get outside and have fun”: Police slammed for taping off grass ‘ramp’ used by young cyclists, amid concerns over anti-social behaviour, damage, and near misses with drivers”
“Residents, parents and
“Residents, parents and carers of the young children at the preschool and visitors to the village hall are very concerned that there may be a collision and somebody will get seriously injured.”
It’s very responsible of those people to be so concerned about collisions and injuries, and in line with that, I’m sure they have banned all motor vehicles from the village.
You know they would be the
You know they would be the first to create a campaign group should the council decide to widen that 20 mph limit . . . . . .
Bike nearly collides with car
Bike nearly collides with car …. call the SWAT.
Car nearly collies with bike … Meh, who gives a fuck.
This is the ASB poster
This is the ASB poster Hampshire Police are using, interesting choice of images. Drinking I can sort of understand, but I don’t think playing football or cycling are inherently anti-social.
Tom_77 wrote:
Will the US be offering asylum to those driven from their country (pun intended) by … child cyclists?
chrisonabike wrote:
Will the US be offering asylum to those driven from their country (pun intended) by … child cyclists?— Tom_77
British attitudes are such that everyone aged under 30 should qualify for asylum (though probably not in the USA).
The irony of them using
The irony of them using activities where social interaction is encouraged..I’d say most ‘normal’ folk are anti social these days with it being the norm to be stuck inside glued to a screen.
I think you’ve misunderstood
I think you’ve misunderstood – the antisocial behaviour is obviously the figure in the middle kicking the one on the left off their bike.
You appear to be asking for
You appear to be asking for it (though seen here before), so … happy to oblige!
Available for older folks too:
mdavidford wrote:
Whilst the person on the right appears to be about to punish the middle one for doing that in the most painful way imaginable…
That poster reminds me of the
That poster reminds me of the ‘Scarfolk’ posters, it’s just asking for some subtle alteration.
Tom_77 wrote:
The authorites are primed to accept that anything ‘youths’ do that grown ups frown on is anti-social – even when it has zero direct impact on anyone else apart from a certain type of person choosing to become aggravated by it. Even the reflexive characterisation of them as ‘youths’ displays that bias. insert ‘young people’ into the same sentence and the entire tone changes significantly.
On the flip side a person of a certain age berating, shouting at and chasing away young people just trying to use a public space as an outlet for some energy would never in a month of Sundays be accused of being anti-social even though that is explicitly their intent.
Every car parked on a
Every car parked on a pavement has illegally driven on said pavement and should be reported, as the driver is demonstrating anti-social behaviour.
Didsbury wrote:
It’d be great if things worked like that, but unfortunately I suspect that the police would want concrete evidence of the driver driving onto the pavement. The car owner could dispute that it was them that parked their car there and then refuse to give information on who was driving at that time (e.g. “I don’t remember”).
Also, the police don’t seem to be interested in prosecuting drivers that drive on the pavement due to it being a low priority. Personally I think they should put some priority into dissuading drivers from obstructing the pavements.
Interestingly, us residents of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood did recently receive a letter warning drivers to not obstruct pavements in specific areas and that they may start enforcement at some point.
the police don’t seem to be
the police don’t seem to be interested in prosecuting drivers
that drive on the pavementdue toiteverything being a low priorityOnce shameless ultra-idle El Filth get used to doing nothing about anything by citing ‘over-work’ and ‘lack of resources’, they find it difficult to give up La Dolce Vita: (the Knaus uberMotorhome is the one whose mirror you can just see- that’s for those who follow the Lancashire Constabulary line that ‘everybody does it, so it’s not a problem’)
https://upride.cc/incident/kn13aus_knausmotorhome_doubleredlightpass/
The sun was probably in their
The sun was probably in their eyes as they were parking. Or the pavement wasn’t wearing the correct PPE.
Speeding, being reckless,
Speeding, being reckless, ignoring the highway code, endangering life, destruction of property and public spaces….is only antisocial if it’s not being done with a motor vehicle.
How can we make things safer
How can we make things safer for vulnerable road users and pedestrians…hmmm, good question. Wait! I’ve got it! We make it so that they don’t actually interact with each other. No silly, we don’t make cars go slower or protect people from cars, we make it so they can’t come anywhere near our hallowed roads. I mean, you can’t expect drivers to slow down or pay attention when they are driving.
mctrials23 wrote:
I think this is partly how we’ve achieved good relative road safety in the UK. Keep pedestrians “safe” … by putting in barriers to block them crossing, and lumpy surfaces to discourage them walking some places. Offer them the promise of convenient and safe passage across a road, if they wait long enough by the side of it at a crossing. Alternatively, they can descend into a dark and grimy underpass, or ascend a couple of storeys and cross a “concrete trench in the sky”. (We ignore cyclists),
When this means some journeys which could be walked or cycled simply aren’t that’s an additional safety boost – those folks are not there to be hit! Oh, well, they’re in cars…
On the “drivers paying attention” – I think there are limits to our ability to improve this. Here’s where “sustainable safety” ideas come in – make it very easy for drivers to get the important bits right by reducing their cognative load at dangerous points and making these as clear and as standard as possible.
Thats exactly how we have
Thats exactly how we have done it. We have pushed everyone to travel in big, heavy and relatively safe metal boxes even when they go down the road.
We have pushed everyone indoors as much as possible and we have made the car the king of everything.
I was waiting at a lights the other day for about 4 minutes to walk across the road. I had about 30s to cross.
When I walk my children to the local nursery I have to walk about 3-400m extra if I want to cross at a traffic light and then obviously retrace my steps.
I have to squeeze past cars that partially or completely block the pavement.
Whenever a cyclist is hurt or nearly hurt, most peoples automatic response (cyclists included quite often) is the work out how the cyclist should or could have prevented it, if for no other reason than they are the one that always comes off worst.
Everything related to safety around cars is about how everyone else can be inconvenienced or encouraged into a car. None of it is about how we can reduce the danger from cars.
mctrials23 wrote:
— mctrials23This, a thousand times this. Motonormativity writ large.
And people who try to reduce the source of the danger by things like LTNs, are roundly condemned by the petrolheads.
“When I walk my children to the local nursery I have to walk about 3-400m extra if I want to cross at a traffic light and then obviously retrace my steps.I have to squeeze past cars that partially or completely block the pavement.”
Every car parked on the pavement has illegally driven on said pavement and should be reported.
Didsbury wrote:
Correct and every report (of breaking the law) will be dismissed because currently either a) it has been decriminalised (most of the UK) and/or b) the evidential standard apparently requires a policeman to witness this / evidence to show that the specific person did indeed drive there and the car wasn’t just blown on to the pavement by a local gale.
Of course if the council keeps getting reports … they may send a warden round. I think what happens next is variable.
But my guess is they’ll file the reports in the bin because it is normal (and doubly so in Reform councils – unless it’s outside the councillors’ houses!)
Perhaps you should wear a
Perhaps you should wear a studded leather belt while squeezing past the cars, the problem might magically resolve itself after a while.
It’s like the old story –
It’s like the old story – kids being kids *. Is this one genuinely “this is the proper time to show that some things are not acceptable (for your own good)”? Or more like “maybe fix the pipe so the kids can swing on it, if they’re going to”?
Generally when children cause “nuisance” what is the priority?
a) Punish them – get the police in.
b) Block them – erect fences and/or set up those high-pitched alarms (“hostile environment”). Ban cycling perhaps?
c) Listen to them – perhaps it was just short term “bored, do this thing” – or maybe they really do want more activity opportunities here? If so what about diverting them – perhaps a quick DIY jump or two could be constructed somewhere, pending a mini skate park / pump track?
* Noting that this can be “crazes” and perhaps one or two off-the-rails kids (or adults…) causing lots more to emulate them. And it does sometimes mean really stupid or dangerous – sometimes to others, though not so much here.
I can’t believe that there
I can’t believe that there isn’t a space somewhere close to the village where the locals can’t put in a few jumps for the local kids to mess about on their MTBs, away from traffic or little kids.
I just didn’t think life
I just didn’t think life could get this PATHETIC…
leedorney wrote:
You clearly haven’t been paying attention.
I’ve just had a parish council object to active travel proposals on aesthetic grounds.
Or they just object and that
Or they just object and that’s the reason they think is plausible. Its probably like all those folks who suddendly care about the trees and the environment when a cycle path is proposed 🙁
HLaB wrote:
Yes, I figured that was it: they just don’t want cyclists so are finding the flimsiest of reasons to object. The meeting next week should be entertaining, but I might have to practice keeping a straight face.
Something about a road in a
Something about a road in a built up area without any pavement makes my skin crawl, perhaps it feels too American?
I think we should fence, or preferably hedge, the road in to protect the young cyclists and to protect the rest of us from the oozing societal decay.
Problem is … is it a road
Problem is … is it a road (expect lots of motor traffic and usually faster motor traffic) or a street (where people might well want to casually cross wherever)? Of course, in the UK most likely “both”!