'A law onto themselves' - Assaulted Coodanup man calls for action against off-road motorbikes

Robert Hadden said a laneway onto Pinjarra Road near his Duverney Crescent home was being used by motorbike riders for hooning and anti-social behaviour.

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Mr Hadden said on March 20 he and his wife Marie saw a crowd of youths near his home with bikes and tried to take photos of them from his car - but one of the teenagers "exploded".

"He ripped his helmet off and came straight for the car and smacked my wife on the shoulder with the helmet through the open window," he said.

After getting out of the car, there was an altercation and Mr Hadden was injured.

"He hit me on the back of the head and neck with the helmet. It knocked me down to the ground and I thought 'I have got to get myself up or I'm a dead man,'" he said.

"I stood up and some of the other youths started to join in, grabbing branches, sticks and one threw a concrete boulder at me. My wife is sitting there looking absolutely panicked.

"Luckily, they all ran away after being spooked by an ambulance siren."

Ms Hadden said she was "absolutely horrified" and her husband was admitted to Peel Health Campus with concussion.

Mandurah police acting senior sergeant Phil Woods confirmed officers were investigating the circumstances around Mr Hadden being assaulted and told residents to contact the authorities if they witnessed people hooning or being anti-social on motorbikes.

"In short, Mandurah police are always looking for information in relation to the illegal use of off road motorcycles," he said.

"The public should make contact with either Crime Stoppers or Mandurah police if they have any information."

Mr Hadden said that motorbike riders using the laneway could evade the current barriers without slowing down, leaving the authorities "powerless" - but he has provided the City of Mandurah with a solution.

"Sometimes it's 20 times a day and in the middle of the night, youths tearing up and down the street on bikes," he said.

"They ride around with helmets on, giving them anonymity - they are well aware of it and a law onto themselves.

"It's not an easy issue, I know that. The cops can't enforce the law because they are powerless to pursue the riders into alleyways and across reserves.

"But, there is an affordable, easy-to-do option that is disabled access compliant.

"I had a section where I lived in Armadale where they put additional barriers in, so riders needed to get off their bikes to get through - it completely nullified the issue."

City of Mandurah chief executive Mark Newman said the council was aware of reports of illegal trail bike riding and the organisation was in discussions with Mr Hadden in relation to his enquiry.

"Antisocial behaviour is not acceptable, this is an ongoing problem and the City is working with police on the issue," he said.

"Rangers patrol known hotspots on a regular basis, however, off-road vehicles are often not registered which makes it difficult to identify offenders.

"Residents and visitors are encouraged to report incidents to rangers or police, including the home addresses of the bikes."

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