Call to give Limerick gardai ‘more power’ to seize scrambler bikes after vandalism

LIMERICK gardai should be given powers to seize scrambler bikes they suspect of being used for vandalism on private property.

That’s according to Fianna Fail councillor Kieran O’Hanlon, who is furious after youths on these bikes did serious damage to the soccer pitch at Geraldines.

Thousands of euro worth of damage has been done to the pitch after someone cut a gap in fencing around the ground, and used a scrambler bike to do ‘donuts’ destroying large portions of the soccer club’s main pitch, which was only upgraded two years ago.

“Legislation certainly should be put in place where gardai should be allowed to go into premises where these are kept and take them away,” he said.”

Unfortunately, the City East councillor added, the damage to the soccer pitch is not even the most serious issue to occur due to these bikes.

“There was  a woman up in a wheelchair in Garryowen near the Market’s Field. Someone on a scrambler bike drove down and knocked her off the wheelchair. I was driving on the Dublin Road a few weeks ago, and one of these came along with no lights on it. They are a danger to themselves, a danger to pedestrians and they could cause traffic accidents,” Cllr O’Hanlon said.

He also criticised parents who let their children – some as young as 13, he claimed – use these bikes.

“These parents are totally irresponsible allowing their children to put themselves in danger like this. My kids are grown up now, but I wouldn’t allow them to get one of these. They could be killed at the speed they travel at,” he added.

Some good has come from this says Geraldines PRO Turlough McNamara.

He outlined how offers of free help from groundskeepers to repair the pitch have been forthcoming after Leader sport initially revealed this story.

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