Mad Max scenes

Mad Max scenes as hundreds of masked bikers rampage through London

•Hundreds of bikers tore through London streets for 'Halloween rideout'
•They jumped red lights, sped along the pavement and set off fireworks
•Witnesses said it was 'terrifying' and described noise as 'like thunder'
•Organised to protest against the lack of space for stunt riders in London

Published: 12:23, 2 November 2015 | Updated: 17:49, 2 November 2015

More than 200 bikers rampaged through London in a terrifying Halloween rideout likened to scenes from Mad Max.

Riding on motorbikes and quad bikes, the masked group roared through the capital's streets jumping red lights, speeding along the pavement and setting off fireworks.

The eight-mile 'Halloween Rideout' from Lambert to Bromley had been arranged on social media by organisers protesting against the lack of space for stunt riders.

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Bikers rampage through London in 'Halloween rideout'

Hundreds of bikers raced down the streets of London on Saturday night to protest against a lack of space for stunt riding

Witnesses described the sound as being 'like thunder' as the bikers raced past and mounted pavements

Bikers demonstrated about their lack of space to perform stunts and set off flares and fireworks

Hundreds of bikers came together on Saturday evening and an eight-mile 'Halloween rideout' was organised

It was organised by UK Raise It Up, a Facebook group that sets up meets and ride-outs, with bikers starting at around 5.30pm near Hilly Fields, Lewisham.

Videos uploaded to the Facebook page showed the trail of bikes zooming down the road, performing wheelies and dangerously cutting between cars.

Another video captured by resident Andy Thornley from his window shows the bikers tearing down the road and motoring along the pavement in front of startled passers-by.

Fireworks were set off by the bikers as they showed their anger at the lack of space in London for stunt riding

The masked bikers mounted pavements amid scenes residents described as being 'terrifying'

Videos showed hundreds of masked bikers thundering down London streets on Saturday night

A biker performs a wheelie in the protest staged to highlight the lack of space in the capital for stunt riders

One biker breaks off from the group and races along the pavement during the Halloween rideout

The intimidating sight and deafening noise from the bikers terrified families out trick-or-treating.

Midori Cumming, 45, who was in Hither Green with her sons Ross, five, and Conor, seven, said they 'ran for their lives' when the riders sped towards them on the pavement.

She told the London Evening Standard: 'We were standing waiting to cross when they suddenly came round the corner on the pavement.

'They couldn't see us, we were only five metres away, and I just pushed my sons back against a shop front and they shot past us.

'My sons could have been killed. When we got home we were all shaken up. It was terrifying and the noise was deafening.'

Her husband, Andy, added: 'When my wife and sons got home they were in tears. It's just a normal quiet street.

'They were on jumping off speed bumps and going back on one wheel. It was unbelievably dangerous.'

Streets filled with bikers as they prepare for 'rideout'

Sightings were posted on social media, with witnesses saying the large group of riders had splintered into smaller gangs that set off fireworks near to main roads.

Reports of sightings came from Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich, Croydon and Bromley.

Chris Dimelow, 22, a recruitment executive, saw two large groups speed through red lights and ride along the pavement in New Cross Road, Lewisham, at around 8pm.

He said: 'The sound was like thunder going down the road. It was amazing at the start because there were so many riders.

'My brother and family ride motorbikes so I'm used to seeing them, but these people were jumping red lights, cutting up buses and started going up on the pavement.'

Caitlin Mulford, 24, saw hundreds of bikes on Streatham High Road at about 8.20pm. She said: 'They were wearing masks and driving the wrong way down the road, driving on the pavements and doing wheelies.'

Daniel Trilling, editor of the New Humanist, tweeted: 'Hundreds of masked people riding motorbikes and quad bikes en masse over south London roads and pavements. Had to jump out of their way.'

Another tweeted: 'Just had a Mad Max scene going on down my street, hundreds of bikes and quad bikes going down the road (and the wrong side).'

POV of the anarchic 'Mad Max' styled 'Halloween rideout'

UK Raise It Up, the organisers of the rideout, said the protest was arranged to highlight the lack of space designated for stunt riders.

On their Facebook page they wrote: 'There's a lot of negative press and vibes towards the fast growing love for bike life.

'What everyone needs to remember is with 10s turning into 100s and 100s turning to 1000s, we still have nowhere to ride. What else can you expect? There is not one place we can ride or stunt legally.

'To be honest it will only get worse. The time has come to start a petition and we will take it as far as possible to get it approved.'

Motorbike-assisted crime has gone up by 144 per cent in the past year, and there is growing concern about the rise in the number of young riders in London.

The scenes were likened to those in the 2015 film 'Mad Max: Fury Road' which includes a lengthy road battle

The Halloween rideout came as unruly crowds throwing bottles, chairs and setting off fireworks clashed with riot police at an illegal rave for the 'Scumoween' event in Lambeth.

Fourteen officers were injured and eight people arrested, the Met Police said.

The rave, Scumoween: A Nightmare On Scum Street, took place at an abandoned warehouse on Whitgift Street at 8pm yesterday and was set to last until 6am this morning.

Of the 13,000 people invited on the event's Facebook page, around 4,000 said they would be attending.

The rave was finally closed down at 6am on Sunday morning, which led to the ugly clashes with riot police.

Up close amongst VIOLENT street battles with riot police

Shocking footage showed revellers clashing with police and setting a bin on fire after an illegal Halloween rave in Lambeth, south London, turned violent

The streets of Lambeth, south London, were strewn with chairs, broken bottles and debris after illegal ravers clashed with police

One raver gestures at police officers after they turned up to shut down the illegal rave at around midnight on Saturday evening