My son has a little off road motorbike, which he rides around on wasteland near our estate. Apparently neighbours have been complaining about him, and my son’s motorbike was seized by the Police. In fairness they had warned him before that his riding was putting people in danger.
I was keeping an eye on my son and I don’t think that he was causing any danger but people around are saying that he is trying to frighten kids playing football by riding his motorbike at them, something that I have never seen.
The Police turned up to speak to me and they took my son’s bike away, seizing it and telling me that they were going to destroy it. Can they do this?
Answer
The short answer is yes. Under the Police Reform Act 2002 a Constable who has reasonable grounds for believing that a motor vehicle (even an off road scrambler) is being used in any way which is careless, inconsiderate or off road and is likely to cause alarm distress or annoyance then he has the power to seize.
Andrew Dalton