How bike gangs came to dominate a UK town – and now a baby is critically ill

Dressed head to toe in black and riding on two wheels, these are the gangs causing terror – and devastating injuries – in a Dorset town.

Such a menace have the balaclava-wearing cyclists become that people have started moving away for their own safety.

The residents of Poole, scared for their lives, are now trapped in a cycle of intimidation, watching helplessly as ‘wannabe gangsters’ treat the public highway like a private stunt track.

Things have now come to a head after a pregnant woman was hit by an e-bike on Herbert Avenue. The mother was injured while the baby was born shortly after and remains in a critical condition.

The main suspect has since been arrested and remains in police custody – he is just 13.

Residents say the crash has intensified long-standing concerns about teenagers riding e-bikes dangerously across the town.

‘There are bikes everywhere with kids on them riding in front of cars,’ says Janet Trendle who lived in the area for nine years before things got too much.

She added: ‘We saw a gang in balaclavas shoplifting from our local Co-op, they left rubbish everywhere and graffiti covers everything. We started feeling unsafe in our home, so we packed up and moved.’

And it’s not as though the teenagers are shy about it. The menace has been fuelled by a toxic social media subculture where ‘ride-outs’ are coordinated to tens of thousands of followers.

In December, such an illegal procession was organised on TikTok and other platforms with the explicit aim to ‘fight Dorset Police’.

Footage shared on these accounts shows them swarming through the streets of Poole and into neighbouring Bournemouth, performing wheelies into the path of oncoming cars, forcing drivers to slam on their brakes.

Martyn Dickson said: ‘I keep seeing these little wannabe gangsters ride around like they are untouchable, intimidating other road users and being a general stain on society. It’s disgraceful.’

Dorset Police insist they are doing what they can to reclaim the streets – last year alone, they seized 99 illegal e-bikes and 128 e-scooters.

Chief Superintendent Lindsay Dudfield insists they are acting on the ‘significant concerns’ with a ‘highly visible presence’.

However, with residents already abandoning their ‘forever homes,’ the question remains: if the law-abiding leave Poole, who is left to stop the streets from being lost entirely?

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