Police break up bikers in Birmingham
They gathered close to where a 22-year-old man was killed on the road last week.
Police used dispersal powers to break up a large gathering where bikes were being driven dangerously in Birmingham yesterday.
West Midlands Police received more than 60 calls from members of the public as more than 100 people gathered, along with 20 to 30 people on bikes.
Some of the group were riding dangerously, performing wheelies and speeding up and down Moat Lane, Sheldon, close to where a 22-year-old was killed on the road last week.
People have been gathering at the spot this week to pay their respects to Liam Jones who died after being struck by a car near the junction of Moat Lane and Vera Road at around 11.55pm on Tuesday.
Officers pulled together specialist resources before moving in at around 5pm to bring the event to a safe conclusion using dispersal powers, which gave them the ability to tell people to leave an area or face arrest.
Four people arrested on suspicion of his murder have now been released on bail. The investigation continues.
Chief Inspector James Spencer said: "It's completely understandable that people want to gather to pay their respects after what happened this week, and we continue to work with Liam's family to support them through this difficult time.
"But we cannot tolerate the illegal and dangerous use of the roads, which was putting people who had gathered at the scene at risk as well as other people driving through the area.
“The gathering was causing considerable concern to people in the area.
“We’re reviewing drone footage and other images of incidents that have been reported to us, and we’ll take action where necessary.
“We’ll continue to work with the local community over the coming days as we work to ensure people can pay their respects, while keeping the community in Sheldon safe.
“Our dispersal powers remain in place and we won’t hesitate to use them if we feel there’s a further risk to the public.”