Motorcyclists protest over rising fuel prices

5 June 2008

Hundreds of motorcyclists from all over the country have organised a 'slow-ride' in the Manchester area to protest over rising fuel prices.

The ride, which was organised by two motorcycling fuel protesters, known only as Maverick and Triumph Man, saw the motorcyclists meet at Birch services on the M62 between junctions 18 and 19.

Police used rolling-roadblocks to try to keep disruption to a minimum, but traffic backed up behind the convoy on the M60.

More than 500 bikers converged on the M602, and were greeted by applauding onlookers as they made their way through Salford.

Maverick told the BBC: "This is just to show the government that there's one voice here, that we all want the same thing - a reduction, if not a complete cut in the [tax] on fuel," he said.

"We've had the lorries out, we've had vans out - we've even had an ice cream van out here."

As well as motorcyclists lorry drivers and taxi drivers also joined in with the protest.

Police, the Highways Agency and local councils held talks with the protest leaders, but the demonstration had been organised through word-of-mouth and it was not possible to stop it.