Watch as Illegal motorbike riders crash Burghley Horse Trials
Two men turned Burghley Horse Trials into their own stunt arena, their reckless riding highlighting the growing problem of illegal bikes tearing up UK roads.
A pair of riders who treated the Burghley Horse Trials like a private playground have been banned from driving after a chaotic display of dangerous riding that left a dog injured and spectators terrified.
On September 7 last year, 27-year-old Reece Murray and 20-year-old Alfi Lleshi blasted their way through the prestigious event near Stamford, pulling wheelies, dodging crowds and showing zero concern for anyone else. Their antics came to an end thanks to event security and a traffic officer, who was already dealing with the huge crowds and congestion the trials bring each year.
The officer, riding a marked police bike on Barnack Road, spotted three motorcycles speeding towards him. When he attempted to stop them, two refused to comply, instead twisting the throttle harder, lifting the front wheels and ploughing straight into the main event. Pedestrians scrambled, parents grabbed children out of harm’s way, and, in the mayhem, a dog was struck and injured.
Both men were eventually arrested and brought before Peterborough Magistrates’ Court in February. Murray, of Dogsthorpe, Peterborough, admitted a string of offences including failing to stop, dangerous driving, no insurance, no MOT and criminal damage. He was handed an eight-month suspended sentence, 200 hours of unpaid work, a 15-day rehabilitation programme and a 12-month driving ban.
Lleshi, of Walton, Peterborough, admitted failing to stop, dangerous driving and displaying an obscured number plate. He received the same punishment.
Speaking about the events of the day, PC Joe Woolf from the Road Policing Unit said:
“This was a high-profile event which attracts thousands of visitors every year. For this pair to have ridden in the manner they did, through a pedestrianised area, was despicable. It horrified not only myself but members of the public. Sadly, a dog was injured and people were jumping out of the way. They clearly had no regard for their own safety or that of others.”
A growing problem on UK roads
While this particular case ended with the dog being the only reported injury, it is part of a wider and increasingly dangerous trend across the UK. Roads and public spaces are seeing more illegally ridden motorcycles, often uninsured, untaxed and unregistered. These bikes are frequently used in antisocial behaviour, criminal damage and even serious crime, leaving communities frustrated and police stretched thin.
For most riders, motorcycling is about freedom, responsibility and enjoyment. But cases like this, where illegal bikes are ridden with blatant disregard for law and life, only serve to damage the reputation of motorcyclists as a whole.
Until there’s a broader crackdown on uninsured and unlicensed riding, we’re likely to see more events like Burghley being disrupted by reckless individuals who think the rules don’t apply to them.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
