Shropshire motorcycle club refutes accusations over event

Pictures appearing to show bikes travelling on a public road with no registration plates were captured by an onlooker during South Shropshire Motorcycle Club’s annual Vic Brittain event.

Jon Kail, from Clee St Margaret, who snapped the pictures, said plates were missing from up to a third of the 100 bikes taking part despite the club making it clear that this is a requirement of entry.

While the law does not require off-road bikes to have registration plates, they are mandatory if the bike is to be used on a public road.

Mr Kail, who lives in the village, said: “It seems to start in Ditton Priors and goes through Clee St Margaret before going on to Heath and Bouldon. Quite a lot of it involved being on farmers’ fields and going through the brooks, which is private land. But in order to get from Ditton Priors they have to drive on a public highway.

“These are off road bikes and whilst I do not believe there is any reason they could not be registered for day time road use, the absence of any evidence of registration calls into question the insurance status of the vehicles.

“The event seems to be well organised and the participants were not seen to be exceeding speed limits or riding recklessly, and I have no issue with this, if the bikes are being ridden legally.”

The South Shropshire Motorcycle Club has offered assurance that the event is completely legal, and said if a rider’s number plate was not visible at any point it was their own responsibility.

“When these riders do this event, they have to fill out a disclaimer of road legality.

“That takes all legal responsibility away from the club,” said club chairman Mark Wells.

“They had already been to a couple of venues before Clee St Margaret and the roads are wet and dirty, so the number plates may have been covered with mud.”

Mr Wells also said the riders had to travel through the village because a landowner had withdrawn his permission for the route to pass over his land as a result of “pressure” from some residents.

“The only place we could go was through the village. We deliberately tried to avoid Clee St Margaret at all costs.

“We do our utmost to protect the environment and do not go anywhere we’re not allowed.

“We are doing good for the community - a lot of people are upset that this event could be put in jeopardy.”