A SPECIAL police team targeting nuisance bikers across the Bradford district has seized its 200th vehicle.

The 'Quad Squad' was set up last July to reduce the number of dangerous bikers on the roads and improve safety.

Its milestone comes as a police warn that drivers could be sent to prison for persistent offending.

The team has issued more than 220 section 59 warnings under the Police Reform Act - year-long sanctions which affect the driver and vehicle - and made more than ten arrests.

Police Constable David Hitchcocks, a member of the bike team, said the number of seizures was increasing in line with a greater public awareness of the enforcement action being taken.

"I think there was an assumption we would go away over the winter months, but we didn't," said PC Hitchcocks.

"The main issue since the start of the year has been nuisance quad bikes, but we've achieved success by utilising different methods of patrolling, such as using a mixture of marked police bikes and unmarked cars.

"This minimises the risks involved where a rider may try to flee from us, as their first knowledge of a police officer being present is when we grab hold of them on the bike.

"We've also been targeting certain hot-spot areas to catch people in the act, and started removing more bikes directly from people's addresses.

"It has been a rolling project since July, but one of the main reasons for the recent success has been an increased awareness by the public of what we do.

"People are passing on more information as they have seen the work we are doing first-hand, and our main follow-up work comes from that."

The bike team has six dedicated officers covering problem areas, including Great Horton, Buttershaw, Holme Wood, Bierley, Undercliffe and Bradford Moor.

The 200th vehicle was a scooter confiscated by plain clothes officers on the Bradford Moor estate. It was being ridden by a 14-year-old boy with a 16-year-old pillion passenger and neither was wearing a helmet.

The vehicle had a missing exhaust, a partially deflated back tyre, damaged bodywork. It is now expected to be crushed to prevent further misuse.

Both teenagers were given warnings about their behaviour, with the rider interviewed and reported to the youth offending team in Bradford for driving offences.

PC Hitchcocks said section 59 warnings often acted as a suitable deterrent for the type of offenders detained by the team, but said repeat offenders could be hit with tougher penalties, including prison.

He said team had made a massive difference in certain areas to driving down anti-social behaviour.

"People have generally been very grateful for the clampdown and some groups who were causing significant disruption are virtually eradicated now," he said.

"The problem sites will always remain on our radar and we are determined to continue to make our presence felt.

"There will always be issues with nuisance bikers, but compared with this time last year, we have made a massive difference.

"We have a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour, but will tailor the punishment to the offence.

"Sometimes that can just be an informal warning, but repeat offenders could potentially end up behind bars.

"I would encourage anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of these nuisance vehicles and their anti-social riders to pass the information on to the police, where it can be acted on confidentially.

"Help us to continue our good work, making your communities a quieter and safer place to live."

Anyone who sees a bike being used in an anti-social manner can contact the team on 101 or 01274 373968.