Category: News
Tickets for An Evening with Elspeth now available!
The next event in our regular series of talks will be An Evening With Elsbeth on the 24th of March 2018. Full details including online ticket sales in our shop.
Yorkshire Day!
Get your flat caps, Nora Batty tights and whippets out (not a euphemism!). Our next social event will be a celebration of Yorkshire Day on the 29th of July at the Royal Hotel in Pudsey. We’ve got a busy day ahead with lots going on. All proceeds will be split between MAG and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
Be there or be Lancastrian!
Leeds and Bradford Motorcycle Theft Figures
We’ve carried out a new Freedom of Information Act request covering motorcycle thefts in postcode areas beginning with BD and LS for 1st April 2015 – 31st March 2016, and 1st April 2016 – 31st March 2017. As before the recovery and prosecution rates are extremely low. The figures are as follows:
First the recovery rates:
| 2015-16 | 2016-17 | |
| Recovered | 449 | 509 |
| Not recovered | 554 | 603 |
| Total | 1003 | 1112 |
| Recovery rate | 44.77% | 45.77% |
And in a graph:
If your bike is stolen you’ve got a less than 46% chance of seeing it again.
Next, the actions taken after theft:
| 2015-16 | 2016-17 | |
| Investigations ongoing | 103 | 50 |
| Charged or summonsed | 26 | 36 |
| Cautioned | 5 | 5 |
| Community resolution | 1 | 1 |
| Investigation complete/evidential difficulties/no suspect ID | 868 | 1020 |
| Total | 1003 | 1112 |
The chances of something actually happening to bike thieves is less than 10%. And in a graph:
We’re not happy with these very low rates and we’re working with the police to do what we can to improve things. We’ll keep you posted about what happens.
Leeds MAG 3rd Bargain Hunt
Thanks to everyone who came to the third Leeds MAG bargain hunt challenge today. It was a fun day and everything is now listed as auctions with 99p start prices. Everything will be live and for sale from 21.35 tonight and will end next Sunday night. The winner will be whoever makes the most money above the start price. All money raised will go straight to MAG to promote and protect riders rights. To look at the ‘bargains’ just go to http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html… and all the delights will be revealed. Happy bidding.
Leeds Injunction Update
On the 16th of Feb me and Steve Bolton (Yorkshire political rep) attended a meeting at Leeds Civic Hall with Councillor Debra Coupar, Chief Superintendent Paul Money and Adrian Tonge (legal services LCC). The meeting opened with a frank admission from Councillor Coupar that there have been failings from both the council and police in the implementation and notice of the injunction as they’ve never had to put one in place before. Lessons will be learnt. She apologised on behalf of the council for any misunderstandings that have arisen.
The injunction is on an offshoot of the council website but not on the main site – again a mistake she admitted to and an apology was given.
Chief Superintendent Money stressed that the injunction was in no way whatsoever going to affect legal riders in any way. The injunction is intended to be served to individuals (not groups) prior to any events, as and when intelligence highlights any potential illegal rides.
The injunction will not be used to stop group rides from both clubs and groups of friends, or affect charity rides, funeral processions or even demonstration rides – so long as individuals involved are legal.
He regretted the lack of resources available on the night of the Halloween ride out but admitted his hands were tied and the police did the best they could to keep the public safe.
Using intelligence gained from the video footage, over 30 people have been sent to the youth courts, magistrates court and crown court that were directly involved in the Halloween ride. The injunction has already been served six times in the last two months to stop illegal rides before they happen. It will also be used to clamp down on illegal riders on off road bikes causing a public nuisance.
We’ve been assured that, in the future, MAG will be fully informed of any similar actions from either Leeds city council or the police in Leeds.
We suggested that MAG organised an event to promote a positive image of bikers and both the council and police were keen to be seen to be backing us up and want to be involved. Details are to be negotiated but all ideas will be looked at so if you have an idea for an event to promote the positive image of bikers, let me know.
All in all the meeting cleared up a lot of our fears over the injunction and we left the meeting feeling like we’d made some allies in high places.
Ride safe
Manny (Leeds and Bradford MAG rep)
MAG: Don’t ban legal riding because of hooligans
News from the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG)
MAG: Don’t ban legal riding because of hooligans
This version: 2017 02 15 Embargo: IMMEDIATE
The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG), the UK’s leading voice for the rights of lawful riders, is currently looking at injunctions taken out by a number of local councils in a bid to reduce anti-social behaviour undertaken on motorcycles.
Steve Bolton, one of MAG’s Liaison Officers, commented ‘Motorcycling is an activity enjoyed by all who take part in it. It draws people from all backgrounds and age groups, with an eclectic outlook on life. Unfortunately it is also an activity that, from time to time, attracts elements of society who exhibit some degree of over-exuberance and high spirits. It always has and, no doubt, always will – but nothing on the scale of what has been witnessed recently from these hooligans, who often organise and promote their activities via social media.
‘MAG unconditionally distances itself from this anti-social behaviour, which we have seen at different times and in various locations around the country. We are about to embark on a series of meetings and conferences with Local Authorities and the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) to ensure that bikers going about their daily lawful business do not suffer as a result of mismanaged or misdirected enforcement of these injunctions. The enforcement strategy must target those whose misdemeanors have created the need for these injunctions and no one else.’
MAG seeks to meet with the NPCC to cover these points and agree a way forward that doesn’t depend on blunt and indiscriminate injunctions that potentially outlaw legal riding alongside the true targets of the legislation: the hooligans who break existing laws in mass numbers and happen to be doing so on two wheels.
Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or central-office@mag-uk.org
ENDS
2017 AGM Minutes
On the 7th of Feb we held our AGM. The minutes of this meeting are now available for download. The new committee looks like this:
Leeds MAG Rep
Richard Manton
Leeds MAG Vice Rep
Martin Thompson
Leeds MAG Treasurer
Kate Williams
Leeds MAG MAP Liaison
Keith Maven (Martin Smith dep when required)
Leeds MAG Membership Secretary
Duncan Fryer
Leeds MAG Web Officer
Marcus Houlden
Leeds MAG New Rider Rep
Marcus Houlden
Leeds MAG Club Liaison
Helen Taylor
Leeds MAG Political Officer
Steve Corbridge
Leeds MAG Press Liaison
John Nettleship
Leeds MAG Communication Secretary
Sally Johnson
Events Promotions Secretary
Zoe Thompson/ Gavin Weiner jointly
Our thanks to everyone who sat on the committee last year.
Leeds MAG AGM – 7th Feb 2017
We will be holding our AGM on the 7th of Feb 2017 at 8 pm in the upstairs room at The Royal in Pudsey. We’ll provide a rundown of what Leeds MAG has been up to over the past year and answer any questions that people might have. It’s been another busy year, with the West Yorkshire and Leeds transport consultations, the Halloween anti-social “rideout” and subsequent injunction, plus our own fundraising and social events.
All committee positions will be up for election if you feel like getting even more involved. Please bring your MAG membership card if you wish to vote. The positions available are:
- Rep – running and coordinating the group
- Vice rep – standing in for and supporting the rep when needed
- Treasurer – looking after the finances of the group
- MAP Liaison – attending the Yorkshire rallies meetings and reporting back
- Membership Secretary – encouraging new people to join MAG and the Leeds group in particular
- Web Master – look after the Leeds MAG website
- New Rider Rep – to encourage and facilitate the involvement of new riders in Leeds MAG
- Club Liaison – to liaise with local clubs in the Leeds and Bradford areas
- Political Officer – to attend meetings with the councils and keep abreast of local developments
- Press Officer – to keep in contact with the press and arrange press releases and interviews
- Communication Secretary – getting the emails out to you guys to keep members involved
- NEW ROLE – Event Promotion Secretary – to promote and share all Leeds MAG events on both social media, with MAG central office and in the press as a whole. It’s an important part of our success and it would be a great help if someone could do this.
As one of the most active local MAG groups we’ve achieved a lot and we always appreciate the support from our members. If you only come to one meeting this year, make it this one.
Leeds Injunction and MAG
News from the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG)
MAG urges ‘joint approach’ to anti-social behaviour involving bikes
This version: 2017 01 04 Embargo:
The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG), the UK’s leading voice for riders’ rights, has called on Leeds City Council to take a measured approach in partnership with local biking interest groups to address anti-social behaviour problems which occurred in October 2016.
‘MAG is completely in agreement with the authorities about the need to deal with the hooligan behaviour of a disruptive element of individuals in the area,’ says MAG’s spokesperson in Leeds, Richard Manton. ‘The fact that these irresponsible louts happened to be on motorcycles has meant that MAG needs to ensure their antics do not reflect badly on real bikers, who have no interest in causing alarm and inconvenience to the general public. We therefore offer our assistance in addressing these issues, and underline the importance of not penalising law-abiding citizens due to the idiocy of a small minority.’
The Council has introduced an injunction outlawing certain behaviours which could cause alarm, nuisance, harassment of the public or property damage. ‘While the principle of the injunction is understandable on the basis that the Council felt it had to act quickly,’ adds Mr Manton, ‘we are nevertheless concerned that its very wide-reaching powers don’t inhibit lawful riding in the city. The way it has been worded means it could end up being tested in court. We’d like to avoid that by ensuring terms of understanding between ourselves on behalf of the riding community and the police and Council representatives on behalf of the authorities. That’s what I’m doing now – and I have to say we’d have done this even sooner if it had not been so hard to acquire a copy of the injunction and its wording – but we are where we are.’
MAG has been actively engaged nationwide with other local authorities to seek a lasting resolution to these issues. The organisation is also set to approach the body representing police chiefs to seek a nationwide solution which protects the public without discriminating against legitimate riders.’
Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or central-office@mag-uk.org