Residents are fed up with the mayhem caused by a group of youths who regularly ride their mopeds on pavements and down alleyways in their town.

An off-duty policeman was alerted to the problem when he became aware of a loud noise coming from a moped in the Taylor Road area of Diss.

He made enquiries and discovered that occupants in the area were regularly subjected to loud noise coming from mopeds with their exhaust broken or modified.

The long suffering residents of Taylor Road and nearby complained they could not even sit in their gardens due to the racket coming from the bikes.

They blamed a small group of youths who regularly ride around the town making the din, mounting the pavements and racing down alleyways.

PC Jim Squires said: 'If a vehicle is being driven in a careless, inconsiderate manner and is causing or has been causing or is likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance to any member of the public then a section 59 will be issued.'

Section 59 of the Police Reform Act gives police the power to seize the vehicle if the offender has already been given a warning or can't be given a warning.

Diss Town Council leader Graham Minshull said: 'There's been a raft of complaints about moped users in the town.

'The main issue is noise - they are making a nuisance of themselves.

'We were all young once but there have been numerous complaints so something has to be done.

'The police are well aware of the anti-social behaviour on mopeds. It is happening in the parks and sports area too.

'The main problem is the excessive noise coming from faulty exhausts and silences.

'The last thing we want is someone to be killed. We want to keep people safe. They need to drive safely and within the law.

'I would encourage those involved to go and talk to the police about responsible riding.

'One lady told me she sits in her garden and she can't enjoy the peace and quiet because of the noise going on.'