A warning from the local Police.

Noddy

Noddy

Some sort of clique thing
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Team Flatlanders decided to delay our departure back to Norfolk on Sunday morning and have a few hours playing on the Steps, and a slow bimble on tarmac around the Lakes to take in the scenery in the sunshine. I will just add that its a different world up there when the sun shines. :D

Anyways we were parked near to the road taking in the views when a very nice Policeman stopped his patrol car and wondered over for a chat. Once he realised we were not local he gave us the following advice. Do not ride anywere that you are not absolutley certain that its legal to do so. The Rangers have now been given powers to seize any vehicle caught on any track or trail where they should not be. :eek: 4X4, quad or bike, the seizure also includes any other vehicle and or trailer used to transport the offending vehicle. :eek: :eek: He said that the Rangers have now started to seriously take action. Apparently the Police have been given instructions to assist the Rangers and enforce the law. He said that he has attended quite a few seizure incidents as they sometimes get quite confrontationable :mmmm and he had been involved on occasions where company vans have been siezed. None of the seized vehicles will be returned.

As I said, he was very friendly and not at all interested in checking our bikes or being officious, I think he was genuinely just making sure we stayed legal and enjoyed our ride out.

Any locals heard of this happening ?
 
Sounds a load of bollocks to me mate.Most of what he said they've done is not possible and siezed vehicles can be gotten back.....i guess he was on about X-SPORT bikes which you can buy for 200quid new anyway so is easier to just buy another!! :rolleyes:
 
Defo not possible
ASBO's can be used to seize vehicles but you get a warning first and they can be got back for £150. the only other way of getting a vehicle seized is if its not taxed. It has to be the vehicle used for the offence - a bit dodgy lifting the transport vehicle I reckon.
Rangers would never enter into any kind of confrontation. They have no Police powers (this is not the USA!) and are trained to take a softly softly approach at all times (they don't get paid enough to be duffed up by some nutter on a stolen trail bike!). All they can do is take information (including photos), ask you to leave and contact the Police. The rangers I have worked with have always been told by the Police that they have no powers of arrest (including so called citizens arrest) and such actions could be seen as taking the law into your own hands, which is illegal!
I think he was slightly(!) overstating the situation just to stop you taking illegal access - a bit heavy handed I suggest.
 
Always thought you have to be given a warning first (expect i may be corrected)

This comes under section 59 of the police reform act 2002, and reading on through all the bumf section 3 b gives an officer the power to seize and remove a vehicle, but section 4 states the officer should give a warning, and only sieze the vehicle, if the use has continued or been repeated after the warning, but reading through there appears to exception to exceptions and certain conditions
 
I am local to the area and have been told very similar stuff, MXers bringing their bikes in using vans and then tearing the place up have been a nuisance for some time, irresponsible 4x4 use is also a problem, I was talking to an old trail riding mate the other day and he reminded me how wide the three peaks trail was when we used to ride it, like a sheep trail, :rob now its as wide as a three laner in places.
Stewart
 
This is a familar story in my neck of the woods in South Wales. last weekend whilst out on the XR I was flagged down by the Forestry Commision and told a familar story that repeats what has been said before. Fortunately I was on a legal trail and it was all very friendly

The end to trail riding is in site me thinks:mad:
 
Been to North wales loads of time laning,
I've never had any issues from local or police due to the fact i keep to legal stuff.
the only time i heard of police getting invole was when some guys doing jumps of hill side and razzing up a farmers field at the same B&B i was staying at came around to see the run leader...:eek: all number plates were taken . over a year later not had anything come in the post.

so stay on legal stuff, keep your speed down, say hello to the locals and keep it friendly:thumb
 
Alex Poole said:
The end to trail riding is in site me thinks:mad:
Click to expand...

Certainly is. :tears

Myself and the wife used to enjoy greenlaning in our Landy, and taking my disabled Nan out to places she'd never normally get to, but increasing abuse from Ramblers took all of the enjoyment out of it, so we stopped. I know that's a bit 'roll over and die', but i've never had the best temper and it wouldn't have been long before i thumped one. I can see the newspapers now "Evil Range Rover driving biker assaults poor vegetarian townie".

It'll eventually be the same for the bikes, hopefully not for a bit yet though.
 
BSR said:
Myself and the wife used to enjoy greenlaning in our Landy, and taking my disabled Nan out to places she'd never normally get to, but increasing abuse from Ramblers took all of the enjoyment out of it, so we stopped. I know that's a bit 'roll over and die', but i've never had the best temper and it wouldn't have been long before i thumped one.
Click to expand...

That's a real shame ......... I too have a quick temper but find it brilliant fun to carry on smiling even when the sad old rambling twonks lose the plot :D
 
Right to seize vehicle

For further information on this join the TRF and one of their rigths of way officers is an ex policeman

Arny
 
drjohn said:
For further information on this join the TRF and one of their rigths of way officers is an ex policeman

Arny
Click to expand...

I'll second that. If you want to go trail riding you MUST join the TRF because they are the people who are fighting for your right to continue riding and they need funds to fight the fight through the courts. £30/year well spent IMO.
 
:rob
Howard Millichap said:
I'll second that. If you want to go trail riding you MUST join the TRF because they are the people who are fighting for your right to continue riding and they need funds to fight the fight through the courts. £30/year well spent IMO.
Click to expand...

section 59 of the police reform act gives the police (or local authority) thanks to new labour,, the power to seize any motorvehicle or mechanically propeled vehicle being used on any land when it is causing harrassement nuisance or distress.
sorry but it can be done. and to those who want to stand there stating ''you cant do this i know my rights'' while they watch the pride and joy plus there ride home being towed away, well enjoy the walk and maybe you will join the TRF next time.. Good luck.
 
I gave up trail riding years ago as I saw all this crap coming, it was just not worth it. All my local lanes were f*cked up by 4x4's , and I couldn't be arsed to travel to decent ones by trailer, added to the cost of fitting towbars to my company cars every 2 years or buying my own tow car just wasn't worth it.
 
Section 59 Police Reform Act 2002 states that -
Where an officer has reasonable grounds for believing that a motor vehicle is being used in a manner which contravenes Road Traffic Act Section 3 (Careless Driving) OR Section 34 (Driving elsewhere than on a road) AND also the manner of use of the vehicle is causing or has been causing or is likely to cause, alarm distress or annoyance to members of the public, Section 59 can be used to:-

initially give a written warning (valid for twelve months)
(commonly called a Section 59 Notice)

and on a subsequent occasion to seize the vehicle.
(it will probably end up in the crusher, or may be ransomed back to the owner)

A constable in uniform has the power to order the person driving to stop the vehicle, to seize and remove the vehicle, to enter any premises on which the officer has reasonable grounds for believing the motor vehicle to be and to use reasonable force. Seizure can made only if a warning has been given, or believed to have been given, or if a warning is clearly being ignored.
 
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/acts2002/ukpga_20020030_en_7#pt4-ch2-pb5-l1g59

In black and white there.

You might want to note:
(5) Subsection (4) does not require a warning to be given by a constable on any occasion on which he would otherwise have the power to seize a motor vehicle under this section if—
(a) the circumstances make it impracticable for him to give the warning;
(b) the constable has already on that occasion given a warning under that subsection in respect of any use of that motor vehicle or of another motor vehicle by that person or any other person;
(c) the constable has reasonable grounds for believing that such a warning has been given on that occasion otherwise than by him; or
(d) the constable has reasonable grounds for believing that the person whose use of that motor vehicle on that occasion would justify the seizure is a person to whom a warning under that subsection has been given (whether or not by that constable or in respect the same vehicle or the same or a similar use) on a previous occasion in the previous twelve months.
Click to expand...

also:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/acts2002/ukpga_20020030_en_8#pt4-ch2-pb5-l1g60 is about the retention of the vehicles.
 
Blah blah blah.........:blagblah

The equation is simple, ride legal tails responsibly and you won't get any interest off PC Plod.

Legal bike + legal trails = Zero Plod interest.


Timpo.
 
The Section 59 is not just for use off road of course!!

Pop a wheelie outside the local bike haunt meet and you could soon find it taken off you...do it a couple of times and it won't be coming back.

( the TRF won't be interested in that aspect!)
 
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