2010.12.11. - Perth, Australia

Bikie alert at Guns 'n Roses December Kwinana Motorplex concert

By NICOLE COX Police Reporter
News Corp Australia

A LOCAL council is demanding specialist gang crime police and extra security to patrol Perth's Guns N' Roses concert in December, which will be held at the same venue as last Sunday's bikie shooting.

The call from Town of Kwinana comes a week after 20 bikies from three outlaw motorcycle gangs - the Finks, Coffin Cheaters and Club Deroes - clashed at the Kwinana Motorplex in front of children and families at the Harley Street Bike Drags.

Three Finks were wounded in the violent confrontation, including one man who reportedly had three fingers severed and another with a gunshot wound to a leg. Several Coffin Cheaters bikies also turned up at hospitals asking for treatment after the incident, police said.

The Guns N' Roses concert will be held at theMotorplex on December 11.

Yesterday Kwinana Mayor Carol Adams said council officers would be instructed to liaise with the event manager to ensure bolstered security and screening measures were in place at the concert.

She also wanted thorough searches of people entering the venue. "I think it would be prudent for police to maintain a presence in light of what has happened," Ms Adams said.

"I can only anticipate that Guns N' Roses would attract a wide range of people, but they may well be a band that also attracts a lot of bikies.

"We would certainly be asking for extra security just to ensure that, if people are attending the event for reasons other than wanting to enjoy a good band, then steps would need to be in place to ensure they are turned away from the venue.

"I will be asking our council to liaise with the event manager and the local police to seek a reassurance that an incident of this nature doesn't happen again, predominantly through upgraded security.

"(Kwinana Motorplex) have been very responsible managers and I would like to think that (last Sunday's episode) was an unfortunate one-off."

Police this week raided 20 outlaw motorcycle gang properties from Geraldton to Mandurah as part of their investigation into the brawl.

Several bikies were arrested and charged with firearms and drug offences, but police said charges were yet to be laid over the Motorplex clash.

Det-Insp Paul McMurtrie, from the Gang Crime Squad, said officers would assess intelligence and make a decision about any police presence at the Guns N' Roses gig closer to the date.

"Certainly, if you look at concerts held previously, like AC/DC, we did have a presence there because of the high number of outlaw motorcycle gang members, but that all depends on our intelligence prior to the event," he said.

Det-Insp McMurtrie said police were continuing their investigation into the Kwinana Motorplex brawl.

Guns N' Roses promoter Andrew McManus could not be contacted for comment yesterday.