Plans are being put in place to safely manage an expected influx of bikers over the Easter Bank Holiday.

Southend Borough Council has prepared for bikers to be directed to a designated parking at the former gasworks site as well as close co-operation between Council enforcement officers and officers from Essex Police to ensure the safety of all seafront visitors on the day.

Bikers have come in large numbers to Southend on Easter Bank Holiday for many years as part of an event known as The Southend Shakedown, organised by the Ace Café – a popular biker’ meeting venue in London.

However, last year, Ace Café announced that they would no longer be running the event. Despite this, around 1,000 bikers still convened on the seafront.

The Council and Police are working on the assumption that some bikers may again visit this year and have therefore been proactive in their preparations, which they have made in consultation with the local business community.

Ann Holland, Councillor for Culture, Tourism and The Economy, said: “We understand that many bikers will still want to visit Southend over the Bank Holiday, so we have taken a pragmatic approach with our partners and put measures in place to ensure all visitors to the seafront, whether arriving by bike, car or train, have a safe and enjoyable stay in the Borough.

“If the weather is good, we can expect roads to be very busy so advise visitors to plan their trips in advance, take public transport where possible and consider parking in town centre car parks and then walk the ten minutes to the seafront.

"This is often quicker than sitting in traffic as cars queue for already-full seafront car parks.

“We and the police will have a high-visibility presence and look forward to helping visitors make the most of their day.”

Chief Superintendent Rachel Nolan, of Essex Police, said: “The roads into Southend and the seafront will be very busy, so all visitors should be prepared for potential delays.

“We understand the majority of those taking part in this event are likely to be genuine biking enthusiasts.

“But as with any large gathering of people and vehicles, there may be disruption and a small number of motorcyclists and drivers who act irresponsibly.

“We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable time, so we will have a visible police presence to ensure that all road users are acting responsibly.”

Marc Miller, Managing Director of The Stockvale Group, who own Adventure Island, Sea Life Adventure and several other seafront attractions, said: “It’s been a long winter and the Seafront and High Street are looking forward to a busy spell to get some bills paid!

“We welcome all visitors to Southend. However one group must not take priority over another.

“As we have seen in previous years, the majority of the bikers are decent people. Unfortunately, mixed in with them is an unwanted element which affects the enjoyment of visitors and residents alike.

“This year with the extra security measures the local authority and police have put in place, it should prove beneficial to all involved.”

Street Rangers from the Southend Business Improvement District (BID) will also be on patrol in the town centre to assist with incidents as usual and are also on hand to deal with visitor enquiries.

The BID will also be operating their popular wristband scheme over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The free Childsafe wristbands are worn by children when visiting the BID area and during busy periods, such as the school holidays.

Each band includes a space overleaf for their parents’ or carers’ contact telephone numbers, so that can be easily contacted and reunited if lost. Further information, including on how to obtain the wristbands, can be found at www.visitsouthend.co.uk/visitor-information/child-safety-scheme.aspx

There continues to be an injunction in place on unauthorised car and bike meets within the Borough of Southend.

This gives officers additional enforcement powers in the event of any antisocial behaviour or dangerous driving. More about the injunction can be found here: http://www.southend.gov.uk/info/200244/road_safety/603/car_cruise_injuction