THE case highlighted on the news recently where Manchester police failed to pursue three stolen motorbikes because the riders were not wearing helmets caused quite a reaction in some quarters.

Although the news came as no shock to most police officers, because for sometime most police forces – including Avon and Somerset – have adopted a non-pursuit policy if the motorcyclists or pillion passengers do not have the correct protective headgear.

As a motorcyclist myself, my first reaction when I became aware of our force policy was one of derision.

After all, most reasonable people would like to think that if they reported their motorcycle stolen and a police car happened to be behind it then the officer would do their utmost to stop the motorcycle and arrest the offender, thus returning property to its rightful owner before it meets its likely fate – burnt out in the hedges along the Bristol to Bath cycle path. But alas, because of our force policy, the police officer in question would have to abort any pursuit and could only follow at a safe and reasonable distance while attempting to maintain visual as the bike disappeared down some small lane or the aforementioned cycle track.

I then began to think about the implications of such a pursuit and came to realise the thinking behind the policy. If, by pursuing the stolen motorbike, we were to cause an accident resulting in the death or serious injury of the rider then we would be failing in our duty of care and disregarding the one belief that encompasses our primary role as a police officer – that of protecting life.

After all, a machine can be replaced whereas a life cannot.

It is also the case that not all motorcycles that are being driven recklessly are actually stolen, some are just ridden in an antisocial manner – either through parks or other open spaces – to the annoyance of local residents. While the police attempt to deal with these wherever possible, it's normally the case that they have gone by the time we get there.

However, legislation given to us under the police reform act can still allow us to deal with the problem even after the event.

For instance, if the reporting member of the public knows the person riding the motorcycle or has an address for the rider or its owner, then police can attend the address and issue a section 59 warning.

That means that for the next 12 months, if they are spoken to in similar circumstances, then the police have the power to seize the motorcycle from them. These warnings are also placed onto the police national computer so that other officers are aware of the warning having been given to that particular individual.