Police are having to deal with a spike in antisocial offences as bikers mount pavements at high speeds and tear up Dundee parks, it has been revealed.
Camperdown Park and Caird Park have been identified as hotspots by officers clamping down on offenders.
Spring is described as a “peak period” for the antisocial and illegal use of motorbikes.
The Strathmartine ward is the city’s worst hit area with 71 such incidents, according to a police report for the last quarter of the year.
There were 30 incidents in Caird Park, usually clustering around Thursday to Sunday, while Camperdown Park was the site of eight incidents, mainly at the weekend.
Dayton Drive was also hit by eight offences, St Leonard Place had seven and there were 18 incidents in Kirkton.
Lochee was also plagued with numerous reports of motorbikes being driven recklessly, at speed and on pavements through an underpass which is used as a quick route to other “high risk” areas, including Camperdown Park.
There were seven such reports, concentrated on Linton Road.
Strathmartine councillor Ian Borthwick said children were being put in danger by such criminal activity in the ward’s popular parks.
He said: “Using the parks in this way causes a lot of anxiety especially when we have very young children running about.
“The park is a place where children should be able to run free and this is causing a potential danger to children.
“I do get fairly never-ending complaints about this. Often it is just one or two serious offenders who seem to get a delight in evading the police.
“They should realise they not only cause disruption to residents but they could also come to significant harm to their own lives. They can also have their motorbikes confiscated and that’s another possibility.”
The north-east of the city has experienced a “sharp rise”, with the second highest number of motorbike offences after Strathmartine.
The worst hit places are Fountainbleau Drive, Cheviot Crescent and Grampian Gardens, where 45% of offences in the ward took place. These hotspot areas had 41 incidents over the latest period.
There was also an increase in the east end, with the north-east of the ward particularly badly hit.
Area commander for Dundee chief inspector Gary Ogilvie told councillors at a recent meeting the issue of antisocial and illegal use of motorbikes was an issue that is discussed daily.
He told the council’s policy and resources committee: “We have Operation Challenge running at the moment to tackle this issue.
“We have had a fair bit of success with a youth recently and secured a bike. This is an issue that is discussed on a daily basis. It is something we are very much aware of and are actively pursuing.”