Residents in north London are urging the council and police to act over antisocial behaviour linked to “large motorbike gatherings” that take place every week. They have repeatedly raised concerns about ongoing and excessive engine revving, dangerous driving, and significant littering they say is caused by the group.
Weekly gatherings cause disruption
Every Friday evening, bikers get together on Beresford Avenue in Alperton, causing huge disruption to residents of the adjacent housing development, Grand Union. Both Brent Council and the police are aware of the issues, but those impacted have questioned why there is “so little visible enforcement”.
Residents have pointed to this not being an occasional or one-off occurrence, but a gathering that takes place “at the same location, on the same evening, week after week”. They claim the ongoing antisocial behaviour and disturbance has now become a “predictable feature of life” for many local people.
Police response and resident concerns
In emails seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the police acknowledge that the issue is “well known” to the Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) and officers are aware of the concerns raised by residents. They claim the matter has been subject to “ongoing monitoring, patrol activity and enforcement”, but due to the “scale, complexity, and recurring nature of the issue”, the situation cannot be managed through local police resources alone.
Jamie, a Grand Union resident, told the LDRS: “The police have acknowledged that this is a well-known and recurring problem that exceeds local neighbourhood policing resources. Residents are therefore entitled to ask why, despite that recognition, dangerous driving, excessive noise and antisocial behaviour continue every Friday night with so little visible enforcement.
“This is not a spontaneous event. It happens in the same place, at the same time, week after week. Even Ace Cafe [on the corner of Beresford Avenue] has been forced to close because of the disruption and a lack of engagement and support from local police. At some point, monitoring the problem has to give way to actually solving it.”
Councillor calls for coordinated action
Alperton ward councillor Anton Georgiou said residents “shouldn’t have to keep complaining” before something gets done and has called for a “coordinated approach, proper enforcement, and a clear message that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated”.
Cllr Georgiou told the LDRS: “Residents in Alperton, particularly those living around the Grand Union development, should be able to enjoy their homes without having to put up with this sort of nuisance. With more people moving into the area, it is even more important that we make sure residents feel safe and that antisocial behaviour is dealt with properly.
“We have raised concerns about the dangerous riding of motorbikes, vehicles revving their engines and litter being left on the road, but residents are still waiting for meaningful action. The council, police and other agencies need to stop working in silos and come together to get this sorted.”
Multi-agency approach and council measures
The issue has been referred to the Brent Joint Action Group (BJAG) so a multi-agency approach can be considered in order to identify long-term solutions and coordinate appropriate action, according to the SNT.
Brent Council has said that its Nuisance Vehicle PSPO gives the local authority “important powers to take enforcement action” but it has not stopped all vehicle-related antisocial behaviour. It claims Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) has identified vehicles using false or cloned number plates, which presents “an additional challenge identifying those responsible”.
A council spokesperson added: “These issues are being actively addressed through the Brent Joint Action Group, which brings together the council, police and other agencies to coordinate enforcement, share intelligence and consider what further action can be taken. This includes exploring additional measures, such as High Court injunctions, which have been used successfully by other councils to tackle organised vehicle meets.
“Residents should be able to live without being subjected to persistent nuisance and antisocial behaviour. We will continue working with the Metropolitan Police and using the powers available to us to tackle those responsible and deter this behaviour.”
Jamie said residents “are not asking for the impossible” and the community wants agencies to use their existing powers consistently and proactively “before the situation deteriorates further”.
He added: “The issue affects not only residents but also local businesses, visitors, road users and taxpayers who ultimately bear the cost of repeated clean-up operations and the wider consequences of unmanaged antisocial behaviour. The authorities now recognise the scale of the problem. Residents want to see that recognition translated into meaningful action.”
