It’s What You Do That Counts – Labour’s Putting Hartlepool First on Crime

From off-road bikes tearing through our estates, to rampant shoplifting, to the growing fear of knife crime – people in Hartlepool have had enough. They’re tired of being ignored. And frankly, I don’t blame them.

That’s why I’m proud to say: Labour is taking action.

We’ve just passed a powerful new Crime and Policing Bill, and it’s going to make a real difference right here in Hartlepool.

This isn’t about slogans. It’s about results.

Under the new law, police can now seize and crush illegal off-road bikes on the spot – cutting through the red tape that’s frustrated both officers and residents for years. You asked for this, and Labour delivered.

We’re also taking real steps to tackle knife crime, with tougher sentences and expanded stop-and-search powers. We know families in Hartlepool who’ve lost loved ones to knife violence. We've seen the pain. And I say: enough is enough.

Shopworkers are finally being protected, too. There’s now a specific offence for assaulting retail staff – and we’ve scrapped the disgraceful “£200 rule” that meant shoplifters often got away with it. That ends now.

But Labour’s commitment goes even deeper. We’re implementing the full recommendations of the Jay Report – including mandatory reporting to protect children from grooming and exploitation. The Conservatives sat on this for years. We’ve acted in weeks.

We’re also introducing new protections for women and girls, including stronger laws against stalking and spiking, and giving police more powers to keep our town centres safe.

And yet – Reform and the Tories voted against all of it.

They voted against tougher powers for police. Against protection for shop workers. Against cracking down on grooming gangs. Against seizing and crushing off road bikes.

In Hartlepool, we don’t need more talk – we need change. And that’s exactly what this Labour government is delivering.

As your MP, I’m here to put Hartlepool first – not party politics, not headlines, just real action to make our town safer.