YEP Says: Let's come down hard on Leeds villains who steal vehicles

These mindless thugs who think nothing of stealing someone’s hard-earned property and then putting legal road-users at risk with idiotic driving have been targeted by a special new order.

Eleven people - five men and six youths - have been issued with legally-binding orders which prevent them from, among other things, touching vehicles which do not belong to them.

If caught breaching any of the conditions, the individuals can be arrested by police.

Chief Insp Ireland said: “We are confident that the successful securing of these wide-reaching orders against these key individuals will give a real boost to our efforts to tackle the organised theft of motorbikes along with the anti-social behaviour that it fuels.”

Let’s hope so. We know only too well in Leeds how joy-riding can lead to tragedy.

Let’s hope this innovative use of civil injunctions means there were now additional measures to control the behaviour of those individuals.

And let’s hope the police and the courts will come down hard on anyone whop breaks these orders.