Leeds men BANNED from touching vehicles in West Yorkshire

A group of men in Leeds have been banned from touching any vehicle in West Yorkshire as part of a big crackdown on motorbike crime.

Police say the five men and six youths are linked to an organised gang behind a surge in motorbike theft across Leeds that fuelled anti-social behaviour in Seacroft throughout 2017.

CCTV showed how the gang, which particularly targeted the city centre, had perfected their technique to the point where they could steal a motorbike in as little as ten seconds.

The bikes were either stripped down and sold, or used in crime before being passed on to youths who used them anti-socially around the estate.

Police say the gang was so prolific there was a constant stream of stolen motorbikes, scooters and quads for youths to ride around on no matter how many the force seized.

The anti-social riding of motorbikes and scooters has been an ongoing issue in Seacroft and other parts of Leeds, but there was a dramatic increase this summer as a result of the group’s offending.

Local police teams and councillors were inundated with complaints from people reporting bikes being ridden at speeds of more than 90mph, on pavements, through children’s play areas and in and out of traffic.

The offenders were hard to identify as the removed or masked number plates and hid their faces with scarves, hoodies or helmets.

Operation Badgeland was set up to tackle the increase in bike thefts, and worked alongside officers from Operation Leodis – a team set up by Leeds City Council to tackle housing-related anti-social behaviour.

As a result, the key members of the group were identified.

The ringleader Jordan Bodally, aged 19, of Mardale Crescent, Seacroft, was convicted of a number of offences and given a custodial sentence in July. He was also given a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order that bans him from the city centre, associating with other members of the gang, having bolt croppers or angle grinders in public and from touching any vehicle without permission of the owner.

Injunctions were secured against the key members of the group – Joseph Thrush, 19, of Barncroft Drive; Macauley Nay, 19, of Dufton Approach; Adam Birkett, 21, of Moresdale Lane; and Jack O’Gorman, 19, of Dufton Approach.

The injunctions, which are valid for one year, ban them from various things including associating with each other in public and touching any vehicle in West Yorkshire without the owner’s permission.

They can face arrest for breaching the conditions.

In October, an injunction was obtained against Ryan Smith, 26, of Brooklands Close, which places similar restrictions on him.

Similar orders have also been secured against six other youths who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Chief Inspector Nick Ireland, of Safer Leeds, said: “This gang was behind a significant upsurge in the theft of motorbikes which not only had a real impact on the lives of the victims of those thefts but also on people’s lives in the communities where these bikes were ridden dangerously and anti-socially.

“The problem was so bad that we saw a flood of complaints with people understandably suggesting it was only a matter of time before someone was killed or seriously injured.

“We will not tolerate offending behaviour like this that impacts negatively on the lives of people in our communities and we will continue to work in partnership and make full use of the available legislation to target those who think they can get away with behaving criminally or anti-socially and blighting the lives of others."