A “growing minority” of motorbike riders flaunted lockdown rules over the Bank Holiday weekend and headed to the Derbyshire Dales.
Derbyshire’s roads policing unit tweeted about three separate incidents where they had pulled over bikers in the Matlock Bath area.
One claimed a dad and son had ridden to the picturesque region and when challenged, refused to give their details until officers threatened to seize their bikes.
And another rider was stopped as he was only wearting a t-shirt on his top half.
In a series of tweets on its Twitter account, the unit said: “Matlock Bath. Dad and son out for a leisure ride with dodgy reg plate, exhausts, no L plate for son.
“Dad initially refused details, anti-police – told he’d be arrested, not fussed.
“Told his bike would be seized – finally talks. Tickets for the pair of them.”
A second tweet pictured a rider pulled over at The Midland pub, in Matlock Bath.
It read: “If you must travel then the normal laws and sensible advice still stands. Bikers: if you come off your bike wearing just a t-shirt on your top half, it’s going to hurt, a lot.”
And a third tweet, posted on Saturday, read: “Matlock Bath. Quite a lot of non-essential journeys today.
“We aren’t the fun police but looking at Twitter it feels like a growing minority are risking undoing all the good work previously done.
“Two bikes seized for licence issues.”
In the early days of the Covid-19 outbreak in the UK, it hit the headlines when crowds descended on the picturesque village, ignoring social-distancing guidelines.
Last week, the chairman of Matlock Bath Parish Council voiced concerns that the sunny weather may bring more people to the area the beauty of which is often a magnet for tourists and, traditionally, motorcycle riders.
Councillor Peter Baranek said: “From talking to people in the village I haven’t been made aware of any deaths around here from the virus so far but the concern is that as soon as we open up again and visitors from all over the place come back, that may soon change.
“That is a major concern.
“We have already seen more people coming here in cars just to go for a walk around the village and, in some respects you can understand that. If you live in Derby you would much rather come here for a walk around.
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Source: Derby Telegraph