Labour has unveiled plans to crack down on nuisance off-road motorbikes disturbing rural communities. This policy will be part of the party's manifesto pledges to

tackle antisocial behavior.

Under the new proposals, police will be granted powers to scrap noisy dirt and quad bikes within 48 hours, instead of the current two-week impoundment period, if Labour wins the General Election. Additionally, Labour aims to increase on-the-spot fines for using off-road bikes or ignoring officers' instructions to stop, which are currently as low as £100.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper are expected to promote these plans during a visit on Sunday. Cooper highlighted that if Labour wins, police will have the authority to permanently remove these bikes, which are a "nightmare for communities," from the streets.

Other measures proposed by Labour include extending closure notices for drug dens from 48 hours to 72 hours, giving police more time to shut them down through the courts. Data-driven hotspot policing would also target the most prolific antisocial offenders.

"Noisy off-road bikes speeding around local streets and neighborhoods, deliberately disturbing and intimidating local residents, are a nightmare for communities," Cooper said. "Yet too often the culprits get away with it again and again, and even when the police take action, the bikes still end up back on the streets."

Labour's manifesto also promises laws to address violence against shop staff. Cooper stated, "Labour is determined to pass a new law to make a specific offense of assaults and abuse against shop workers and to ensure it's taken seriously by the police." She also pledged to end the "shoplifters' charter," under which police will not press charges unless the value of stolen goods exceeds £200.

The party also plans to deliver 14,000 more prison places, blaming Conservative inaction for the current overcrowding in prisons. Labour's proposals include classifying prisons as sites of national importance, allowing ministers to take control of planning decisions to prevent what they describe as a "powder keg waiting to explode" behind bars.

In addition, Labour's manifesto includes pledges to establish 80 new specialist rape courts across England and Wales, introduce specialist rape units in every police force, and enact laws to combat violence against shop staff. To counter the Tories' claim that Labour would raise taxes by £2,000, Sir Keir Starmer will pledge not to increase income tax, national insurance, or VAT for five years.

Meanwhile, the Tories plan to focus on reforming the benefits system to curb rising welfare costs, claiming it would save £12 billion a year by the end of the next parliament. This includes a £700 million investment in NHS mental health treatment, reforming the disability benefits system, and tightening work capability assessment criteria. Photo by Shaunmza, Wikimedia commons.