Visiting Ravenscliffe yesterday, Bradford East MP, Imran Hussain has urged West Yorkshire Police to deliver a much tougher crackdown on anti-social and criminal behaviour in Ravenscliffe blighting the lives of local residents.

Over recent weeks, buses passing through Ravenscliffe in Bradford East have been subject to vandalism and frequent attacks by youths throwing rocks and other missiles, threatening the safety of drivers and passengers. As a result, First Bus have on a number of occasions redirected and cancelled services serving the estate, leaving people isolated and without reliable public transport across Bradford.

During his visit to Ravenscliffe to meet with those residents affected by the anti-social behaviour and redirection of public transport, Imran was also told that violent thugs were making the lives of residents on the estate a misery, with threatening behaviour and attacks on both people and property that the police have failed to pursue and left unaddressed.

Meeting with West Yorkshire Police’s Chief Superintendent for Bradford and the Neighbourhood Policing Team Inspector immediately after his visit, Imran received reassurances that the police would be providing “enhanced interventions” in Ravenscliffe in the coming days alongside a stronger police presence to deter the violent anti-social behaviour taking place and to catch those responsible for it.

Speaking on his call for tougher action to tackle anti-social and violent behaviour in Ravenscliffe, Imran said:

“The anti-social behaviour and violent vandalism that we are seeing in Ravenscliffe is absolutely shocking. Drivers and passengers should be able to undertake their journeys in safety and residents should be able to live in peace, yet the disgraceful actions of a few are threatening this and we cannot allow a small number of criminals to run riot any longer.

“We need to tackle the criminal behaviour in Ravenscliffe head on and we need to see much tougher police action against these vandals, with a more determined use of the powers available to the police, and a much stronger frontline and neighbourhood police presence on the streets in the area not just to catch these thugs, but provide a reassuring presence to local residents too.

“Whilst I am therefore pleased that during my meeting with senior police officers, West Yorkshire Police have committed to taking the action needed to make Ravenscliffe safer for residents, I remain disappointed that many of the local people I spoke to during my visit told me that the perpetrators are known to the police but that no action has been taken against them, and this must be an immediate priority.”