Riders are "tanked up and speeding"

Richard Butler, a Conservative councillor for Notts County Council claims that local riders are terrorising the countryside by drink driving at high speeds.

He claims they are riding home " tanked up " and tabled a motion at a Council meeting calling for an increased police presence on Nottinghamshire roads and rider re-education programmes.

Butler said: " I don’t want to be seen as a bike basher, in case they come round to my house, but I’ve constituents who are a getting frustrated with the noise of an awful lot of bikers speeding around the countryside. There is blatant law-breaking going on.

" Some motorcyclists are using high powered machines in a selfish and irresponsible manner, by speeding and using special exhausts which make more noise " , he added.

But one Labour councillor, Joyce Bosnjak, who rides pillion with her husband, told the council Butler was " an obvious bike basher " .

She said: " Councillor Butler says bikers come back from the pub drunk. I don’t know any that do it. And he’s afraid they’ll come round his house and beat him up. What’s that saying about bikers? He wouldn’t say any of that about car drivers. "

Bosjnak added: " Bikers invest a great deal in their safety. I am grateful this motion has given me the chance to put the rider’s point of view. There are some idiots about. It is a pity we all get tarred with the same brush. "

Notts County Council agreed to a compromise motion calling on the council to continue supporting safety awareness education at motorbike shows and working with the police.

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