A UK town has been so overrun by e-bike gangs residents have been forced to move ‘for their own safety’ – as a pregnant woman and her babyare injured in a hit-and-run.
Residents in Poole, Dorset, are all too used to seeing gangs of teens wearing balaclavas and riding their bikes erratically over the roads.
One particularly startling piece of footage shows a teenager doing a wheelie in front on an oncoming car, while others show up to 20 riders taking up the road.
But locals have now had enough, after a pregnant woman was hit by an e-bike on Herbert Avenue which reportedly failed to stop.
The baby, which was born shortly after, remains in a critical condition after the mum was injured in the crash last Monday on Herbet Avenue.
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A 13-year-old boy has since been arrested and remains in police custody.
But this is not surprising for residents who have dealt with ‘out of control’ bike riders in the area for years.
And the problem has become so bad, people are packing up their ‘forever homes’ and leaving.
Janet Trendle, who lived in the area for nine years, told Metro: ‘There are bikes everywhere with kids on them riding in front of cars and coming down the street right next to us.
‘We saw a gang in balaclavas shoplifting from our local Co-op, they left rubbish everywhere and graffiti covers everything.
‘We started feeling unsafe in our home, so we packed up and moved.’
Martyn Dickson said: ‘I keep seeing these little wannabe gangsters ride around like they are untouchable, intimidating other road users and being a general stain on society.
‘It’s disgraceful.’
Dorset Police has made a number of attempts to clamp down on the gangs over the last few months.
This includes stopping and confiscating illegal e-bikes during a ride-out to ‘fight Dorest Police’ in December, with the route starting in Poole and ending in Bournemouth.
A 20-year-old man who was believed to be the organiser was arrested on suspicion of of causing a public nuisance.
Chief Superintendent Lindsay Dudfield, of Dorset Police, said: ‘We know that the anti-social riding of e-bikes and e-scooters is of significant concern to our residents and it was vital we acted upon these concerns to ensure everyone can have a safe and enjoyable time in the area.
‘Members of the public would have noticed a highly visible policing presence and our officers have seized numerous vehicles and dealt with a large number of individuals intent on causing harm or disruption to our communities.’
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