Motorbike gang goes on rampage

POLICE are hunting a motorcycle gang said to have taunted officers during a crimewave across the city. A dedicated police unit has been set up to hunt the balaclava-clad gang members, who have used hammers and crowbars to smash up vehicles before escaping on high- powered motorbikes. The trio are thought to be teenagers and are believed to be responsible for a string of damage to cars in the Muirhouse, Craigmillar and Seafield areas of the city. The latest incident on Tuesday saw a Mitsubishi Strada pick-up truck and advertising trailer parked near the Edinburgh Cat and Dog Home in Seafield targeted after what appears to have been a failed attempt to hotwire the vehicle. Witnesses reported seeing three masked men surrounding the truck in an isolated area off Seafield Road at around 4:15pm. The cost of the damage is estimated at £1000. Chief Inspector John Rae, who is spearheading the inquiry, said: "This latest incident happened in broad daylight on Tuesday afternoon, so we are appealing for anyone who may have been in the area at the time, and who saw what happened, to contact us. "This kind of antisocial behaviour will not be tolerated, and we would encourage people living in these communities with any knowledge of these incidents to get in touch with the police." The gang's most recent victim, David Blues, 33, whose smashed-up vehicle may now be a write-off, said he had spotted the bikers driving at high speed and wearing balaclavas several times in the last fortnight. "I think it's almost like a computer game for them and they think they can just do anything they like," he said. "It's like Grand Theft Auto for them and they are probably thinking 'what can we break or steal next?' " He added: "We have heard that they have been pulling up next to police cars in the city centre and banging on the windows then speeding off." Mr Blues believes he spotted the three yobs fleeing the scene moments after they trashed his truck and gave chase for around 15 minutes before losing them in Joppa. "I had heard about what happened with the truck and jumped in the car to see what was going on," he said. "I got to the bottom of a road in Portobello when I saw guys on two motorbikes that I'd seen before. "Straightaway I thought they were the guys responsible for smashing the truck so I went after them until we got to Joppa, where they got away.