POLICE officers have seized an off-road bike after its rider performed a wheelie while swearing at them.

Officers from GMP Bury South said the incident happened in the early hours of Bank Holiday Morning on Manchester Road in Bury.

Enquiries are ongoing to identify the male rider who was able to escape the scene on foot.

A spokesperson for GMP Bury North said: "Off0road bikes have their place and they can be a very enjoyable hobby, but it must be done safely and not endangering innocent members of the public.

"In the very early hours of Monday, May 3, C relief response officers from Bury have managed to find time on top of their heavy workload responding to 999 calls to patrol around Bury to respond to residents' concerns about offroad bikers riding dangerously without insurance and causing disruption to the upstanding and hard working residents of Bury and Radcliffe.

"At 00.10 hours the rider off this KTM offroad bike has decided to wheelie past officers on Manchester Road in Bury and provide them with a one-finger salute.

"Unfortunately for the rider he couldn't quite manage to cash the cheque he had written with his middle finger and officers have quickly managed to catch up with the biker, seizing the bike from the rider under S165A Road Traffic Act as it was uninsured for use on a public road.

"The bike will now be sent to the crusher.

"Enquiries are ongoing to locate the rider who fled with his tail between his legs.

"Off road bikes have their place, but their place is not on the road performing wheelies and ridden without insurance."