A man who tore through Birmingham on a scrambler bike – hitting 80mph as he sped on the wrong side of dual carriageways – has been convicted of dangerous driving after we caught him during an operation targeting reckless riders.
Mohammed Polash was among a gang of off-road bikers, including several on quad bikes, causing chaos in the city on 11 April during the CoVID-19 lockdown.
While most people were heeding the government’s orders and staying home Polash and his associates thought it was fine to turn the quiet roads into their own racetrack.
However, Police had traffic officers out in force in anticipation of anti-social bikers taking to the streets and encountered the group by Park Circus Island on the A38.
Polash made off from the traffic cops and was pursued before ditching his bike in Grosvenor Road, Handsworth, and running off.
The 22-year-old, from George Arthur Road in Alum Rock, was quickly chased down and arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, driving without a licence or insurance, and failing to stop for police.
He admitted the offences and at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday (7 July) was handed a six month jail sentence, suspended for 24 months, and banned from driving for 15 months.
He was also ordered to pay £542 in court costs and charges.
PC Mitch Darby from our traffic unit, said: “We had several calls from members of the public reporting this group riding dangerously and intimidating other road users – so we positioned officers to intercept them near Park Circus Island.
“Polash rode the wrong side of dual carriage ways, and the wrong way around roundabouts, causing other motorists and pedestrians to take evasive action. It was hugely dangerous and his actions could have caused a serious collision.
“Riding off-road bikes on public roads is illegal; they can only be ridden on private land with the landowner’s permission.
“We know that people riding off-road bikes anti-socially is a real concern in our communities. They are intimidating, a noise nuisance, tear-up grassland and pose a danger.
“We are listening to those concerns and have responded by running a series of operations to target offenders which will continue through the summer. We will seize their bikes and take them to court; it won’t be tolerated.”
Several other suspects have been summoned to court for motoring offences and others remain under investigation for dangerous driving.