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Police are reporting concerns with large groups of people on motorbikes and dirt bikes in Auckland. Photo: NZ Police
Hundreds of different types of motorbikes have been spotted causing havoc on Mount Wellington Highway this afternoon.
A worker at Mount Wellington Caltex told the New Zealand Herald that scooters, quad bikes, dirt bikes and other types of motorbikes were weaving in and out between cars, scaring motorists in dense traffic.
A police spokesperson said police were called to an area near Sylvia Park about 3.25pm after reports of an incident involving dirt bikers and another vehicle.
A large group of motorbike riders had surrounded the vehicle and badly damaged it, leaving the driver uninjured but "very shaken".
Police were working to identify those involved, and asked witnesses to come forward.
"We'd also like to hear from anyone who might have captured the incident on video, or who might have dashcam footage of it," the police spokesperson said.
"If you can help, please call 105 and quote event number P054428578."
Earlier this month, police made a desperate plea for information after more than 100 off-road dirt bikers drove recklessly through the East Auckland suburb of Botany Downs.
It followed an incident filmed by a resident in a South Auckland suburb where more than 100 riders rode, some doing wheelies and swerving into the opposite lane.
"I've seen this before, where lots of people on dirt bikes go through the streets, doing wheelies and such, [with] no helmets or protection... but I've never seen this many before. They just kept coming.
"There were even a few people on [quad bikes] this time; I'd never seen that before," a resident told 1News.
The man said he had seen groups of dirt bike riders getting together over summer and on holidays such as Christmas, and figured they organised again for Easter Sunday.
A video that circulated on social media at the beginning of this year showed about 100 dirt bike riders driving recklessly along Tamaki Drive in the Auckland suburb of Kohimarama, on New Year's Eve.
A police spokesperson said it was a challenging type of behaviour for police to deal with due to safety concerns for other road users and the riders themselves.
Police said it was incredibly frustrating for them and the public, as the group had no regard for the safety of others and their riding was putting lives at risk.
"It is completely unacceptable behaviour," police said.
"Police regularly follow up to hold those involved to account and either issue them with infringement notices or charge them with driving offences, but the message does not seem to be getting through.
"It is illegal to ride a dirt bike on the road unless it is roadworthy with a current warrant and registration. Anyone riding a bike with an engine capacity above 50cc needs to have a motorbike licence.
"The last thing we want is to have one of these riders cause a crash and injure or kill a member of the public."
* This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.
