80-year old woman hit by e-scooter in city describes 'worst pain' ever

Tap to watch a video report by ITV News Meridian's James Dunham

A controversial e-scooter trial is under renewed attack after an 80-year-old woman was run down in Canterbury and left with serious injuries.

More than four weeks on, Sarah Carter is still suffering and is demanding an immediate end to the rental scheme.

The grandmother needs support from carers whilst she recovers from a broken wrist and fractured jaw.

Ms Cater was walking along the pavement when she was struck by the vehicle.

"I had the worst pain I've ever experienced in all my eight years. So I want people to know that I didn't have a fall, as they say, but that I was knocked into by an e-scooter.

"Without exception, people have said, 'oh, they're lethal, they should be banned.'

"It could happen to anyone. You don't have to be an old person for it to happen. It would he'd hit anybody, they would have been knocked over."

Whilst in most parts of the country e-scooters are illegal, in Canterbury scooters operated by Bird can be lawfully hired because the city is part of a Government trial which is currently due to end in November.

However, vehicles are limited to a certain speed and should not be using them on the pavement.

Bird say the rider of the vehicle was removed from the system immediately,

"Our thoughts are with the individual who was injured as we continue to work closely with them and our city partners to provide the support needed at this time", a spokesperson said.

"Whilst one incident is too many, we estimate that 1 in 5 eligible Canterbury residents have ridden our scooters since the trial started almost two years ago and safety incidents remain extremely rare.

"We remain deeply committed to educating our Canterbury riders on safe riding via our in-person training days, on street advertisements, police patrol, clear in-app messaging and a temporary speed reduction for our vehicles."

Liberal Democrat city councillor Nick Eden-Green is also backing calls for the scheme to be stopped.

"This was sadly an entirely predictable accident. It's one of many that have happened. Thankfully, none as bad as Sarah's but we knew that something of this sort was bound to be on the cards.

"It's shocking, in my view, that somebody has been made to suffer for something that could easily have been avoided in the first place."

A Kent County Council spokesperson said: "Officers have been made aware of a collision within the electric scooter trial zone in Canterbury and our thoughts are with the person who was injured.

"After liaising with the Department for Transport, we continue to work with our partner Bird, which provides the vehicles for this trial, to ensure warnings to drivers are clear and breaches are taken seriously."