Someone will be “seriously hurt or killed” if persistent anti-social behaviour by some motorcyclists is not tackled in the town centre, according to a town centre resident who says he has made 50 reports to Bedfordshire Police about ASB in the last two years.
The local, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, says they have filmed dangerous incidents and shared dozens of videos with Bedfordshire Police, but claim officers have taken little or no action, despite the activity also being visible on council CCTV.
Bedfordshire Police, however, say that they remain committed to tackling anti-social behaviour and are now seeking the public’s help in identifying those who have been filmed engaging in such behaviour.
The Bedford Independent has seen videos which show bikers riding illegally through Bedford High Street and pedestrian areas, including St Paul’s Square and the Embankment, with some footage appearing to show riders weaving through traffic without number plates or helmets.
In one video, recorded on the evening of Monday, 5 August, a biker is seen riding the wrong way up the High Street towards oncoming traffic.
In another, a rider is filmed kicking traffic cones into the road near vehicles travelling through St Paul’s Square. Both incidents were filmed within minutes of each other.
One biker, being filmed on a bike being ridden illegally along a pedestrian path, gave a ‘thumbs up as if to show they have no fear of repercussion for their behaviour.
“Every night”
The resident told the Bedford Independent, “It’s happening every night. These bikers are putting people in direct danger. I’ve seen near misses with pedestrians, children and people pushing prams.
“They go through red lights, across pavements, and even into the graveyard of St Paul’s, where they’ve been seen urinating and dumping rubbish.”
They add that amongst the videos sent to the police is footage they say shows a bike captured in many of the videos involved in drug dealing, theft from a building site, and repeated dangerous driving.
“Each time I’m told to keep reporting it, but then they say they can’t do anything. The police are watching it live on CCTV and letting it happen.
“There’s no visible presence at night when these bikes are here. They say patrols have increased, but we don’t see it.”
The Bedford Independent editorial team has also viewed videos and images showing bikes being ridden on pavements near shops, cutting through alleys, and being left abandoned near St Paul’s Square.
Individuals who contacted the Bedford Independent after this story was first published have told us that the anti-social behaviour is due to a minority of people not connected to those who meet at St Paul’s Square in a lawful manner.
Patrols stepped up
Chief Inspector Andy Smith, who oversees Bedford’s Community Policing Team, said officers are aware of the reports and are working with the council and other partners to reduce anti-social behaviour.
“We are committed to tackling anti-social behaviour across all our towns and villages in line with the Safer Streets Summer Initiative,” he said.
“In the first month, we increased neighbourhood policing capacity and worked with Bedford Borough Council to make over 30 arrests in Bedford and issue more than 120 fines for ASB-related offences.”
He said that while not all incidents reported at St Paul’s Square involved criminal activity, the force recognised the impact on residents and had increased patrols and visibility in the area.
“More recently, we received footage showing a clear breach of road safety laws. Officers were promptly deployed and conducted enquiries; however, despite working with Bedford Borough Council’s CCTV team, we have so far been unable to identify those responsible.”
He urged residents to continue reporting concerns, saying, “Our community teams remain committed to working with residents, offering support, and collaborating with partners to reduce offending and improve safety.”
Anyone with information, including the identity of those in the images in this report, is asked to contact the police online, quoting reference 453 of 5 August.
Bedfordshire Police, Bedford Borough Council and other agencies are currently carrying out a summer policing plan.
Read: Bedfordshire Police face criticisms head on with launch of Summer Policing Plan
The summer plan operates under the banner of #TogetherForBedfordshire. This county-wide campaign brings together police, local councils, community groups, and the Police and Crime Commissioner to tackle seasonal increases in crime and anti-social behaviour.
Update: This article was updated at 13:45 on 18 August 2025, following advice from Bedfordshire Police that the images used were no longer suitable for the article.
We also received correspondence from two motorcyclists who tell us that the anti-social behaviour is limited to a small number of people who are not part of their group or a law-abiding motorcycle community. We have invited these correspondents to speak with us further to help share their side of the story. If they reply, we will carry their story and link to it here.
We also removed the term ‘biker gang’ from our headline, which may create a negative perception of motorcyclists who are not engaging in illegal activities. We are happy to make these changes and apologise for the use of this terminology.
Earlier versions of this story may be removed from social media where that platform does not allow us to refresh headlines, images and other details.
