Police carry out checks at biker hotspot

2:00pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

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POLICE stopped more than 100 motorcyclists near Fox's Diner at Dorchester-on-Thames after complaints from residents.

Police and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) carried out road safety checks on the A415 in Burcot and A4074 in Shillingford last night.

The check was carried out after complaints from local residents about some motorcyclists riding anti-socially and causing noise nuisance.

Police said around 400 motorcyclists were in the vicinity of Fox's Diner at Dorchester-on-Thames, which was hosting a weekly motorbike gathering.

The check focused predominately on these motorcyclists, however a number of cars were also stopped, police said.

Officers stopped 110 vehicles and 31 offences were identified and dealt with.

Eleven motorcyclists and one car driver were given prohibition notices and four motorcyclists given 14 days to rectify faults on their bikes.

One rider will be summonsed for document offences and another for anti-social riding.

Three verbal warnings were also given for exhaust defects.

Two £30 tickets were given to car drivers and passengers for not wearing a seatbelt, one received a £60 fine and three penalty points for using a mobile phone while driving and five were fined £30 for non-conforming registration plates.

One vehicle was seized for no insurance or licence.

John Tidbury, 55, of Wallingford Road in South Stoke, near Wallingford, was charged with drink driving and bailed to Didcot Magistrates Court on May 29.

Last month, rider Mark d'Ardenne, 22, of Marlow, in Bucks, was killed in a head-on crash on the A4074 Dorchester bypass after visiting Fox's Diner.

Insp Paul Winks, head of Roads Policing in Oxfordshire, said: "This is an excellent example of partnership working in support of the wishes of the local community.

"We do not want bikers to feel we are targeting them unfairly, but when such a large group of them gather on a regular basis, this can cause problems for local residents when they are ridden excessively fast and/or are fitted with noisy exhausts.

"I believe the check yesterday had a positive effect on riders and hopefully made them think about the effect their riding may have on the community and also about their own safety when riding their bikes."

Motorcycle safety advice can be found at www.thamesvalley.police.uk/roads/safer-rider/index.htm.