Police in one part of Merseyside have unveiled a new fleet of e-bikes to help tackle anti-social behaviour.

The bikes would enhance officers’ operational capabilities, extend their patrol areas and increase visibility in locations that traditional police vehicles could not easily access, Merseyside Police said.

Launching the bikes in St Helens on Monday, Inspector Josh Griffiths said officers were seeing criminals increasingly using bicycles and e-bikes “so we have to have the tools to match and overcome them”.

The new bikes would help officers disrupt the activity of organized crime groups, he added.

Inspector Griffiths said there was a need for them to “really diversify their tactics” and invest in tackling “crime on two wheels as well as four”.

He said the bikes would also allow them to provide “more visible and accessible neighborhood policing for our communities.”

Officers will use the e-bikes to patrol the many parks, forests and other open spaces in the borough, as well as in towns and villages, the force said.

The bikes were funded by St Helens District Council.

Trisha Long, cabinet member for neighborhood support, said the bikes would allow the team to be “more mobile and accessible to the community in our parks and open spaces, fostering stronger relationships with residents and contributing to a safer and more connected neighbourhood.” .