Burnley MP Julie Cooper backs crackdown against moped criminals

A number of pedestrians have been injured in Burnley in the past few months after being hit by yobs on two wheels.

Among the casualties is Chris Benson, who was walking along the footpath leading to Pendle Way when he was struck by a man riding a moped who failed to stop at the scene.

The 35-year-old suffered serious injuries to his hip and has since undergone major surgery at Royal Preston Hospital where he remains an inpatient.

His mum, Jayne Benson, wants to see a zero-tolerance to the spate of moped-related crime sweeping through Burnley. She says it's only a matter of time before someone is killed.

She added: "Chris has had surgery to repair his hip and realign his leg. He has experienced a lot of pain and it's a long road to recovery. We've been visiting him almost every day and the response we've received from our family, friends and well-wishers has been overwhelming, but people are also angry why something isn't being done to stop these criminals. The problem of nuisance riders is getting out of control and it's only a matter of time before someone is killed."

Jayne commented further: "Police are continuing with their investigations into the hit and run, which happened at around 4-30pm on June 9th. If anyone has any information, please call police on 101."

Meawhile, MP Julie Cooper says she regularly meets with local police to discuss a range of issues relating to Burnley and Padiham.

In a statement released to the Burnley Express, she said: "I am very concerned about the rise in moped related anti-social behaviour in Burnley and Padiham over the year. I welcome the news that Lancashire Constabulary are taking this issue incredibly seriously. It is a matter of deep shame that the Tory cuts to police forces across the country have limited their ability to tackle this new type of crime."

In addition, Burnley housing association, Calico is reminding residents experiencing motorcycle nuisance over the summer holidays to report any incidents with their Off-Road Rage campaign.

Off-Road Rage is available for anyone who is suffering from motor or quad nuisance and isn’t sure who to contact.

Alicia Foley, Calico’s Community Investment Manager, said: "We know that incidents of motorcycle nuisance tend to increase over the summer holidays and we would urge anyone experiencing this to report it through our Off-Road Rage campaign. We will then liaise with the police and Burnley Borough Council on behalf of our residents. The campaign is open to anyone and will give victims of this type of anti-social behaviour the opportunity to report incidents anonymously.”

Residents are urged to call call 01282 686358 anonymously and leave a message.