Police link Crawley and Seaford gunman biker scares (From The Argus)

Police link Crawley and Seaford gunman biker scares

2:40pm Wednesday 31st October 2012 in News

A motorcyclist who pointed a gun at a stranger in Seaford is believed to have committed virtually identical offences a week earlier – at the other end of the county.

The victim was targeted in Claremont Road, Seaford, by a man on a blue Suzuki motorcycle who had a pillion passenger.

The road was cordoned off and armed police were called to the scene following the incident in which bangs were also heard.

Now the offence, which happened on October 13 but has not been reported until today, is being linked to a virtually identical one in Crawley.

Ifield Avenue in Langley Green and Ifield Road in Charlwood were visited by armed police after locals reported a motorcyclist and passenger racing round the streets armed with a gun on October 6.

On this occasion a gunman riding a motorcycle – again with a pillion passenger – waved a gun about, terrifying passers-by.

A police source said it was likely the motorcycling gunman and pillion passenger were “larking about” and that the bangs heard were the noise of their exhaust.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “Two men aged 22 and 20 have been arrested on suspicion of firearms offences following reports of a gun being pointed at a member of the |public in Seaford on Saturday October 13.

“The suspects were riding around on a blue Suzuki motorcycle at the time of the incident, which was reported to police at 6pm. Several units were deployed to the area including firearms officers.

“The incident has been linked to three similar reports around 4.30pm in Crawley on October 6.

“The men, one from Lewes and |one from Eastbourne, were arrested in the very early hours of Sunday, October 14, and have been bailed until November 29 pending further inquiries.”