A COUNCILLOR has called for “action not words” to help crackdown on nuisance off-road bikers that have been plaguing Wollescote Park.

The call from Cradley and Wollescote councillor Ryan Priest comes after a Freedom of Information request by Dudley Liberal Democrats revealed 41 reports have been made to the police to date in 2023 regarding off-road bikes illegally riding in the park - up from just six reports in 2022.

Cllr Priest, a member of the Cradley & Wollescote Lib Dem FOCUS Team, said despite this dramatic increase in reports – police have been sent to investigate just six times.

He said the FOCUS Team has written to the Labour Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands, Simon Foster, calling for resources to be allocated to tackle the issue.

He said: “This is an issue that is spiralling out of hand on the Labour Police and Crime Commissioner’s watch. In July, Simon Foster visited our community and he was told about the issue. “But what we need here is action, not words.

“When I speak to residents in Wollescote, the off-road bikes are the number one issue that comes up, be that the trouble they cause at the park, or the speeding in our streets.

“Our local police team are fantastic, and I really appreciate the hard work that they do with patrols in the area. Support needs to come from higher up to tackle this issue properly.”

The Police and Crime Commissioner’s office declined to comment but West Midlands Police said the force has been working to address the problem of off-road bikes.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: “We know antisocial behaviour associated with the illegal use of off-road bikes is a source of concern and frustration for residents in our communities.

“We’re working to address this by obtaining warrants so we can search properties and seize bikes, partnering with the local authority to restrict entry to spaces where off-road bikers congregate, and enforcing public space protection orders where appropriate.

“Our force-wide motorway policing team also introduced a new fleet of off-road motorbikes earlier this year. We’ve called upon our specialist off-road bike team to help us patrol known hotspots across the borough and are planning further operations with them.

“We also rely on the public to help us with information and are asking residents to continue to report any bike-related anti-social behaviour in the community to us. We’re especially keen to know who are using these bikes and where they’re being stored.”