Southampton Itchen MP Darren Paffey tackles noisy motorbikes

Darren Paffey, MP for Southampton Itchen, spoke in Parliament on Monday to say that residents are fed up with motorbikes being raced at unsafe speeds around Weston Shore and Woolston.

He asked Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, if new powers in the government's Police and Crime Bill will be used to tackle the problem.

READ MORE: Centenary Quay locals 'pushed to brink' by reckless driving

Mr Paffey said: "The constituents around Weston Shore in my Southampton Itchen constituency have had enough.

"[There is] antisocial motorbike racing outside their homes every night.

"[And] the constant noise disturbs everyone’s sleep and yet they’ve seen no recent enforcement in recent years.

Darren Paffey MP said residents are being disturbed at night by the constant noise. (Image: Parliament TV) "As the Secretary of State has outlined, further powers are coming.

"So can she confirm that she expects local police forces to use these powers fully and to tackle this issue seriously so that this blight on my constituent’s lives can be stopped?"

READ MORE: Woman and elderly mum 'deafened' by Woolston loud vehicles

The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, replied: "Offroad bikes careering through estates and communities are dangerous and an antisocial nightmare.

"That is why we’re giving police stronger powers to seize bikes without the need for repeated warnings in order to help keep our streets safe."

Netley resident Tracey Goddard previously told the Echo that she "cannot escape" the loud noise from the bikers, explaining that her and her elderly mum are both being "constantly deafened" day and night.

Tracey Goddard and her mum, 72, on Station Road in Netley. (Image: Newsquest) She lives near her elderly mum Pauline, 72, of Malmesbury Court, who has a heart condition that causes subsequent health issues.

Tracey fears that the noise could cause further issues for her mum, and says that getting something done about the situation is "like bashing your head against a brick wall".

Centenary Quay resident Kim Heston said the noise is "horrendous" and that bikers use the road "as a racing track".

Residents of the development launched a petition to call for action at the start of April.

The Government's Police and Crime Bill, which is making its way through Parliament and will become law, will give police the power to seize vehicles that cause problems for communities.

This will allow officers to deal with off-road bikes in public parks and dangerous e-scooters on pavements.