Bikers Are Patrolling In Flood-Hit Yorkshire Towns To Scare Off Looters

theguardian.com

In an effort to prevent looters from preying on flood-hit homes, motorcycle clubs have stepped in to protect the Calderdale Valleys region of the UK.

According to the Guardian night-time patrols of Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd are being carried out by bikers after residents posted on Facebook that they were trying to deter looters.

telegraph.co.uk

“Who better to do that but 20-30 burly bikers,” said Dave Cariss of The Drifters MCC, who has been organising the patrol with his motorcycle club chairman, Lloyd Spencer. However, the pair are not the only ones looking out for those left reeling by the floods, other clubs, including Pyratz MCC, Broken Bones MCC and Nuntii Mortis MCC, have been out for the past two nights and more than 30 bikers are expected to gather on Tuesday night to keep watch.

“We are not there to hurt anybody. We are not there to scare anybody. We are just there as a presence to deter people who are trying to take what’s not theirs,” said Cariss.

Although the bikers may look intimidating, the local community has welcomed them with open arms keeping them topped up with hot tea and chip butties. The police are also supporting the bikers’ efforts and on Monday night they believe their presence scared off would-be burglars at Calder high school.

hebdenbridge.co.uk

Spencer told the Guardian:

You go into Hebden Bridge, and in parts there is no light, it’s like a warzone. Everybody has dumped everything out on the road because the insurance companies have said if they don’t see it, they won’t pay out. So people are putting fridges out and of course, it’s scrap metal. We just drive, park, walk, drive, park, walk. With our torches, looking for anything suspicious.

dailymail.co.uk

Unfortunately the heroic bikers haven’t been able to stop all the looters with The Cycle Factory of Todmorden, falling victim to looters already:

Struggling for words here we got flooded on Saturday as did a lot of people. Last night we were robbed by the scum of the earth preying on flood victims.

What is wrong with people?

UNILAD