Youth has little fear.
It is one of the reasons why youths and motorbikes have such a tragic association even if ridden according to the highway code and with motorcycling helmet.
But what we have on the streets and indeed walkways of our Leicester neighbourhood in recent days and nights is a totally different beast.
It is reckless, seen racing across junctions and off of walkways that suddenly terminate onto roads where cars would never imagine a motorcycle would suddenly appear from.
They whizz around shadowy dark alleyways where unsuspecting pedestrians can be taken by surprise and suddenly knocked off their feet especially elderly people who would not have time to move aside even if there was the space to do so.
Because of the height of these mini motorcycles there is also the issue that other road users would have less time to spot them especially at close proximity or when appearing suddenly from behind other vehicles.
The chance of one of these youths ending up dead or indeed in hospital with permanent disabilities such as damaged or lost limbs is pretty high and almost inevitable if permitted by Leicestershire Police and Leicester City Council to continue.
The chance of a pedestrian getting knocked down, killed or injured is equally high and just a matter of time before we see and perhaps film it happen.
Last year when this issue manifested its unprotected head it went on for months even after being reported.
But this problem which is often very noisy also and disturbing especially on summer nights when people want to have their windows open is not unique to St Peters & Highfields in Leicester. It also occurs in other neighbourhoods across the country including in Semilong in Northampton.
When it sprung up as an issue there in 2009 Police officers immediately turned up and put into action a plan to catch the person involved. They waited near a bend in an alleyway and when the offending youth raced through they literally plucked the youth off his motorbike as it slowed down to navigate a bend.
The co-ordinator at Semilong.org the local community group told us that “it was very quickly and smoothly handled by Northamptonshire Police” who then crushed the motorbike involved. (We will check and verify the precise outcome for you all).
We have now notified Leicestershire Police of this issue again on this occasion and hope to report back to you soon that it has similarly been resolved here also before one of these youths kill or injure themselves or others.
St Peters Neighbourhood Monitoring
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