Police plane circles Stoke-on-Trent for hours in illegal bikers crackdown

Police were in the skies for around six hours - during a huge crackdown on illegal bikers. A plane and helicopter was seen in the North Staffordshire skies over the weekend.

StokeonTrentLive reported how the presence was spotted in both Stoke-on-Trent and the Staffordshire Moorlands. On Saturday the helicopter was seen over Endon and Gratton while the National Police Air Service (NPAS) plane was seen on Sunday.

Officers with Staffordshire Police's road policing unit (RPU) have said cops were in the sky for around six hours. The force says Sunday was a 'busy day' with 'multiple off-road bikes' seized. Arrests were also made for dangerous driving, the theft of bikes, and drug driving.

Police, who used their own off-road bikes to stop troublemakers, say the footage captured by NPAS will provide vital evidence.

The RPU wrote on X: "Great teamwork removing these people from our roads to make the communities safer."

It represents the latest crackdown as part of the ongoing Operation Transom. That has seen Staffordshire Police team up with Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Previous issues have seen bikers rip up popular green spaces - and have even been seen going through Burslem Cemetery.

To report nuisance bikes in your area, email the council at OperationTransom@stoke.gov.uk or call 01782 233400. Alternatively, contact Staffordshire Police on www.staffordshire.police.uk or by calling 101.

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