Scramblers causing ‘huge concern’, as public urged to report dangerous use

Scramblers are causing “huge concern” and “annoyance” in communities in Northern Ireland, police have said as they warned of the dangers of using them unsafely ahead of Christmas.

The PSNI has asked people to report the illegal and dangerous riding of scramblers over the festive period.

They said officers would be on patrol to detect people not using scramblers in the right area or with the right equipment.

A senior officer said they were working on a long-term solution to find a dedicated scrambler site in Belfast.

“Scramblers, used illegally, are not toys,” Constable William Kingsberry said.

“They are powerful machines that can cause serious injury, damage community-use spaces, result in a criminal conviction and even be fatal.

“We know scramblers are causing huge concern within our community through annoyance and disruption.

“What also worries us is that they are a big risk to the safety of both riders and the public, and I fear that someone is going to be seriously hurt as a result of their use.

“We want everyone to enjoy a safe and peaceful Christmas.

“Please help make our roads and communities safe spaces for all by making responsible, safe decisions this festive season.”

There has been a reduction in scrambler-related incidents in west Belfast and across the city, with a 29.8% reduction in incidents from the winter period of 2023 to the winter of 2024.

The PSNI recently set up an initiative to provide safe scrambling courses to communities and young people.

“We are working closely with Belfast City Council to try and identify a suitable location for a dedicated scrambler site with the outcome of a feasibility study to be published early next year,” Con Kingsberry said.

“We view a permanent site as a progressive solution to this problem.

“This work is really encouraging and we don’t want to lose momentum here.

“We know the dangerous driving of scramblers and other off-road bikes remains a key concern in the community. We want to reassure you, it’s one we take seriously.

“To anyone thinking about getting on one of these vehicles this Christmas, we urge them to think about where it is going to be used and the potential disruption and damage you could be causing to your own community.

“We will have targeted patrolling in place and will be detecting offenders.

“Some scramblers do not comply with Construction and Use Regulations and Vehicle Safety Standards and therefore are restricted to ‘off-road’ use only.

“This does not mean that they can be driven anywhere off-road. These vehicles should only be driven on private land where the landowner has given permission and should not be driven on pavements, roads, public property or parks.

“Insurance and safety equipment must be complied with as well in order to drive these vehicles legally.

“We’d also ask that the community continues to report the illegal and dangerous driving of these bikes so we can help make our roads and parks safer for everyone.

“Call us on 101 or report online at www.psni.police.uk/report. If you want to anonymously provide us with information on those responsible for this nuisance in our community, you can do so via the charity Crimestoppers, which gives you the power to speak up and stop crime.

“They can be contacted on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.”