Liam Byrne, MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill today warned owners of mini moto bikes to ride their bikes legally or face tough new punishments brought in this week by the Respect Task Force.

Thanks to pressure from Liam, Hodge Hill is one of only a handful of constituencies around the country that have been given additional money and powers to crack down on the mini moto menace. Liam’s action follow complaints from scores of local residents about the noise and danger mini mopeds pose.

The Hodge Hill MP has also been in talks with a local club that offers riders the chance to use bikes in a legal, controlled environment, rather than running amuck in local communities.

It is illegal to ride unregistered mini-motos and vehicles on pavements, in parks and on public highways. New punishments issued this week include penalty points on driving licences (even if they haven’t yet got one), a driving ban, a fine or even seizure and crushing of vehicles.

Liam hopes that by raising awareness of the issue, winning extra money and new powers for the council, and providing a legal option for mini moto owners, we can begin to banish the scourge of illegal bike riding from our local neighbourhoods this summer.

Liam said

“I have been pushing for action for months on this issue and hope that with extra money, and new punishments we will see an end to mini moto mayhem in our communities”.

“Mini-moto misuse is a summer scourge I want to stamp out. These bikes are marketed as toys, but the whine of their 2 stroke engines, plus their pedestrian hazard potential means they are anything but a toy”.

“I’m all for adults and children using them in a controlled legal environment, but we won’t tolerate mini motos on our streets, parks and pavements. We want to deliver a crushing blow to those people who think that mini moto misuse is acceptable.”

Michael Cullen, Hodge Hill constituent and founder of a local mini moto club said

“Mini motos are dangerous when not used in a contained supervised area, yet if used constructively they are a fantastic educational tool that could save the lives of the future motorcyclist.”

ENDS