Dashcam footage has captured the moment three 'illegal' motorbikers terrorised a learner driver on his first lesson in Sutton Coldfield. The incident occurred on Wednesday, April 8, as the learner was driving along Carhampton Road in Falcon Lodge with instructor Phil Durose from 1st Choice Driving Academy.
Intimidation on the Road
The three masked riders, none wearing helmets and on bikes without registration plates, approached the learner from behind. They pulled wheelies, rode dangerously close to the marked driving instructor vehicle, and blared their horns in an intimidating manner. One rider even pulled alongside the car and stared at the nervous learner.
The bikers then moved in front of the learner, with one swerving in front of a bus and narrowly avoiding a collision. They continued up Carhampton Road towards Rectory Road, performing wheelies before turning onto Lindridge Road. Throughout the ordeal, instructor Phil Durose remained calm, reassuring his student and guiding him through the incident. He told the learner he had done nothing wrong, remarking, 'Careful of all the chavs behind.'
Instructor's Concerns
Phil Durose, a 44-year-old driving instructor based in New Hall, Sutton, said he encounters such bikers at least once or twice a week in Sutton Coldfield, Kingstanding, and Great Barr. He expressed concern about the impact on new drivers: 'It was the man's first lesson. He was doing really well. When they came past, he wanted to slow down. One was alongside looking over. They were beeping their horn. The student coped with it really well. He said 'did I do anything wrong?' And I said 'no'. He was nervous before the lesson. It was his first lesson and he didn't know what to do in that scenario. That could have deterred him from driving.'
Thankfully, the incident did not deter the learner, who has since returned for more lessons. Durose questioned the bikers' motives: 'The car has graphics on. They can see it's a learner driver. My question is – what are they gaining from this? Especially if it's to a learner. They have nothing to do but be a nuisance. I don't know if they are trying to show off. One time one tried to open one of the car doors. You don't know what you're dealing with. Because they have got no licence plates, you can't do anything about it.'
Community Response
Cllr Richard Parkin (Sutton Reddicap, Cons.), whose ward includes Falcon Lodge, has been working to combat nuisance bikers. He acknowledged the challenges faced by police: 'The problem with the bikes is not unique to Sutton Reddicap or Birmingham, it's a national problem. I have a lot of sympathy with the police. They have a lot of restrictions like not being able to chase the bikes. They rely a lot on local intelligence. I have been working closely with the police the last few years. It's a difficult one. They are wearing balaclavas, have no registration plates. And police cannot chase them. They have had successes. Recovered some stolen bikes in Falcon Lodge. They don't have helmets or registration plates and ride recklessly. They are a danger to themselves and other people. My advice is to call 101 or go on LiveChat every time you see them. The more times the incidents are logged the more resources will be allocated to it.'
Cllr Parkin highlighted ongoing efforts: 'We have had eight off-road bike days in the ward in the last year. Police on off-road bikes attend, and they can go after the bikes. They came out a couple of weeks ago and supported a Birmingham City Partnership event. We were handing out leaflets on how to report anti-social behaviour, mainly with bikes. People opened up on the doorsteps to speak to us. They know where these bikes are being kept. As we were handing out leaflets, three bikers went past and were giving hand gestures and doing wheelies. And 20 seconds later, they came screaming past, chased by police bikers, which we cheered!'
He urged more residents to report incidents: 'We are trying to encourage more people to report them. In Falcon Lodge, particularly around school time, when it finishes, they come out to show off. There are so many kids walking on pavements it could result in a serious incident. That's my main concern. They are often linked to other crimes, stealing bikes, potentially drugs as well. We need to weed them out.'
