Dozens of motorcyclists gather outside the cafe, performing dangerous stunts and mocking police to come to stop them, forcing the cafe to close early
A beloved motorcycle cafe in North London that’s been open for nearly 90 years is being forced to close early after becoming the meeting point for a dangerous group of bikers who perform dangerous stunts and have little regard for other road users.
The owner of Ace Cafe London, just off the North Circular Road in Stonebridge, has begged the police to do something about the antisocial bikers who meet outside the cafe every Friday evening, where they video each other performing dangerous manoeuvres, including, in one shocking video, driving a quadbike up the side of a police van and making hand gestures to the officer inside.
Owner Mark Wilsmore, 69, who has run the cafe for 32 years, said the behaviour is “beyond any control”.
“We respectfully request that you do not visit us after 6pm on this Friday,” the cafe said in a statement last week after numerous attempts to discourage the behaviour, yet the group keeps coming back.
There have been several temporary closures of the cafe, normally open between 8am and 9pm every Friday since early July, with Mark saying he had been forced to shut over the safety of the riders, his staff, and other road users.
Mark claims he has repeatedly asked the Met Police for increased enforcement, and fears that if nothing happens, it’s only a matter of time before someone dies.
‘They will either end up in prison or make statistics’
“There is just less and less enforcement, we know that 25-30 per cent of all fatalities on London’s roads are motorcyclists, here they are, they are a vulnerable group,” Mark told MyLondon.
“How it starts, they are called young people, young people will get together, think of a primary school at dinner time, there are no staff, so one of them is trying to climb the fence, another one is trying to beat up others to get their sweets off them. This is not a managed space.
“Every year, there is a new crop of youngsters who come along and think they are indestructible. Most will survive and become old and boring like me, the others will become croppers, they will either end up in prison or make statistics.
“Don’t blame me, I’m not encouraging them, come and enforce the law. It’s victim-blaming in effect. They just keep saying they don’t have the resources. We need the police intervention.”
Numerous videos with the “Ace Cafe London” location tag have been uploaded to social media, showing unidentified bikers performing dangerous stunts, including wheelies, and also revealing crashes that have already occurred.
Mark continued: “Not just are we losing trade and business, we have staff, they are reliant on their incomes, and it is just awful, it is just absolutely awful. This is just a new thing, this has been going on for years now, it has just got to a ludicrous level.”
In response to Mark’s claims that there was a lack of enforcement in the area, Neighbourhood Superintendent, Tanya Lloyd, said: “We are aware of footage circulating on social media. Our investigation teams are currently reviewing the footage to identify offences and offenders and deal with those committing crime.
“A Section 35 dispersal order was authorised at 8.49pm on Friday, 21 August following reports of anti-social driving along the North Circular Road, Stonebridge. The order provided officers with additional powers to direct those involved in anti-social behaviour to leave the area. No arrests were made.
“We continue to engage with local businesses to assist them in preventing future disruption to the local community.
“We encourage anyone who witnesses anti-social behaviour or has concerns about activity in the area to speak with officers on patrol or report it by calling 101. Anyone committing these types of offences will be dealt with swiftly and robustly.”
