A St Helens policeman has been trained to ride quad bikes to help him combat anti social youths.

Constable Andy Tomkinson has received specialist off road training after police in Thatto Heath were inundated with complaints about local youths buzzing around recklessly on mini-motos.

The police quad bike has already enabled Constable Tomkinson to deal with nuisance calls that would usually be too difficult to deal with on foot or even in a patrol car.
Insp Tim Kelly said: "We often receive complaints about noisy motor bikes and mini motos which are being ridden recklessly, or without any safety equipment or insurance. The new quad will enable us to tackle these issues more effectively.

"When police officers are out on quad bikes in parks they attract a lot of attention from young people. This helps us to engage with these young people, to let them know what we are doing whilst also explaining the dangers that mini moto's and motorcycles can bring."

Rachel Bennett from Re:new Thatto Heath said: "We always listen to what residents have to say and where necessary, pass residents' concerns on to the police. In this case, the funding has gone to a really innovative and useful initiative."