POLICE are appealing to parents after several reports of large groups of youths on bikes causing antisocial behaviour and potentially committing public order offences in Middlesbrough.

Officers received reports of groups of youths on bikes causing issues in stores including Food Warehouse in Middlehaven, Greggs on Snowdon Road and the Hill Street shopping centre on Thursday (February 25) and Friday (February 26).  

The youths rode their bikes through the aisles of Food Warehouse and, when challenged, they became verbally abusive to staff.

The group then left the store and rode off under the underpass towards North Ormesby.

The group are described as 13 to 15 years old, wearing tracksuits/hooded tops and riding pedal cycles.

Sergeant Owen Collingwood, from the local Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We will not tolerate antisocial behaviour such as this and we will certainly be looking into public order offences which may have been committed in these stores.

“Not only this, when we identify these youths, their parents could be looking at fines for breach of Covid regulations. Whilst we have sympathised with the situation and tried to engage with people first and foremost, we will issue fines where there are repeated breaches and where parents have failed to ensure that their children comply with the regulations. We all have a responsibility to stop the spread of the virus and allowing children to congregate in large groups goes against the guidance and contributes to the risk that we all face.

“We are looking at CCTV and would ask that anyone who suspects that their child may have been involved, or anyone may know the identity of those responsible, gets in touch with police.”

Anyone with information regarding those responsible is asked to contact Cleveland Police on 101, quoting incident number 030816.

Independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111, or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.