MENACES on motorbikes must be stopped, according to the family of a 14-year-old hit and run victim.

Teenager Robert Landers was left black and blue after being knocked from his bicycle by out of control off-road bikers on Wednesday, November 2.

The Haughton Academy pupil was riding along a cycle path in Darlington when two men on a green Kawasaki motorbike careered into him at speed.

He was knocked off his bike and left with an injured knee, bruising and a badly damaged bicycle.

The men also fell from their motorbike but quickly picked it up and made off without stopping to assist Robert.

His father, former councillor Martin Landers, is now calling for more to be done to tackle off-road bikers.

He says they have caused an issue for years on the Redhall estate and believes reckless riders could leave a tragedy in their wake.

Mr Landers said: “Robert was shook up and he was physically hurt, he’s been black and blue.

“Rather than come to the aid of my son, they got back on their bike and went – it was a hit and run.

“The police are being supportive and are doing what they can to prosecute these guys but they have hit a wall of silence.

“I used to be a councillor for Redhall and I tried to raise awareness then of the menace of motorbikes.

“It’s not just the danger of people being hit, there are old people deafened by the noise and the footballers complaining about them tearing up their pitch – they’re an absolute menace.

“This is an ongoing issue that needs highlighting – my son is 14 but if he’d been a small child, they could have killed him.

“That is something these boys need to be aware of, an incident like this could easily lead to a death.”

Darlington councillor Chris McEwan reported the incident to County Durham and Darlington’s Police, Crime and Victims Commissioner Ron Hogg and is calling for the culprits to be arrested.

He said: “I would like to thank local people who went to see if the lad was ok.

“To ride a motorbike like this is disgraceful and reckless – to leave the young lad after something like this is disgusting cowardice.

“Let’s hope they are arrested very soon and their bike is crushed, this type of behaviour will not be tolerated.”

Anyone with information about the incident, which happened on a cycle path near the Redhall Community Centre, should call police on non-emergency number 101.