Police chiefs have praised a regional daily for its summer-long campaign to rid its patch’s streets of a motorbike menace.

Merseyside Police says there has been a 100pc rise in tip-offs about the illegal use of off-road vehicles since the launch of the Liverpool Echo’s #SCRAM campaign in June.

The force has seized more than 200 scrambler bikes since the campaign was launched, while 150 arrests for driving, theft and drugs offences have also been made.

Superintendent Jenny Sims, who leads the force’s Operation Brookdale project against such vehicles, said the support of Echo readers responding to the campaign had been crucial in securing an increase in tip-offs, seizures and search warrants.

Seven of the bikes seized since the Echo’s campaign was launched

She told the newspaper: “I’m chuffed to bits, the engagement right across the five Merseyside Police commands has been brilliant. The engagement with inspectors has been brilliant and, at the end of the day, they deal with communities day-in, day-out.

“In the past riders may have been dismissed as ‘people on scrambler bikes’ but we have seen the damage they do, these bikes are used in serious and organised crime.

“From the first hour of Operation Brookdale people could see we were doing something about this in the community. It just grew and you could see on social media how grateful everyone was and the push from the media has been brilliant. I think what the Echo has done has helped with people coming forward with information.”

Echo editor Alastair Machray added: “The success of Operation Brookdale demonstrates the huge role our readers can play in making Merseyside a safer place.

“With a record number of scrambler bikes seized and 150 arrests, Merseyside Police can be proud of its work to tackle a problem known to cause misery across the area.

“But it is the increase in tip-offs from you, our readers, that is the most impressive result of this year’s campaign. Without that, many of these bikes would still be being used to cause trouble today.”