A new video has been launched as part of a campaign to tackle illegal street scrambling in West Belfast.

The initiative, named Op CHICQUER, was launched by the Colin Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) in collaboration with community representatives, youth services, and schools, following the tragic death of local mother, Valerie Armstrong, who was killed by a scrambler in July 2016. The video includes a powerful testimony from her husband, Seamus Armstrong, and aims to address the root causes of the illegal activity.

Since its inception, Op CHICQUER has yielded positive results, with a 29.8% reduction in scrambler-related incidents across the city from 2023/2024 to 2024/2025. A key element of the campaign has been community engagement and youth education. The NPT noted that around 70% of offenders are aged 12-18 and last summer, a nine-week programme was run with Cornerstone Off-Road Motorcycle Academy to provide road safety education to 18 "at risk" youths. In a statement, Annie Armstrong of the Colin Neighbourhood Partnership highlighted the dangers of these vehicles in the hands of untrained and uninsured individuals. She appealed to parents and those involved to consider the consequences if an innocent person is seriously injured or killed. In addition to the video, the initiative has also involved consulting with local schools, youth centres, businesses, and community groups to distribute thousands of leaflets and display posters in prominent places in the Colin area.

Speaking at the video launch, Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tracy Kelly, said: "This is a great example of how partnership working can really help to improve outcomes for local residents.

"The video shown today is a powerful reminder of the very real impact that illegal street scrambling can have on individuals and their families.

"It also underlines the continued need for all statutory agencies and community groups to engage with young people and work with them to discourage anti-social and illegal behaviours by providing more safe spaces and positive activities to get involved with."