Parents could be banned from driving if their children ride off-road motorbikes on the roads.

Canvey police officers, determined to stamp out the menace, have revealed that courts can punish parents as official owners of the machines, by slapping penalty points on their driving licences.

If a parent already has points, the courts can disqualify them from driving under the totting up procedure, as 12 points usually leads to a driving ban.

PC Barry Woods from Canvey police said: "In many cases, parents buy the bikes or go-peds (motorised skateboards) for their children. If that child rides on the road and commits an offence, then the parents are permitting the offence which is a separate crime."

"If a parents already has points, he or she could well be disqualified from driving for their child's crimes."

Garages could also face the wrath of the law for "aiding and abetting " youngsters by allowing them to fill their machines with fuel.

The crackdown has already netted three offenders on the island - one man was caught riding a child's motorbike and two youngsters on go-peds were also collared by police.

The team of Canvey officers behind the initiative - PCs Barry Woods, Alan Bain and Mark Challis - intend to keep the pressure up to stamp out the dangerous offences.

PC Woods said: "We know the youngsters are riding these bikes on the roads and we are determined to put a stop to it.

"We want to push the message home that we will not put up with this sort of stupid behaviour which is annoying for residents and dangerous for road-users. If these people get caught riding these bikes or go-peds on the road, they will suffer."

Police intend to prosecute every culprit for a string of motoring offences as well as for riding an off-road bike illegally.

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