Police reveal 118 e-scooters and e-bikes seized in Thames Valley amid weekend of 'incidents'

Police say there were two incidents involving e-scooters at the weekend. Credit: Thames Valley Police

Police have seized 118 e-scooters and e-bikes across the Thames Valley in just three and a half months.

The force have just released the statistics, which show 21 of the seizures took place in the first two weeks of September.

It's illegal to ride a privately owned electric scooter in public spaces, including on the road, and those who are found to be riding privately owned e-scooters in public risk receiving a large fine, points on their driving licence and seizure of their e-scooter.

Police say they often receive complaints from members of the public around the misuse of these vehicles, due to riders driving carelessly and at excessive speeds.

And, over the past couple of weeks there have two serious incidents involving e-scooters in the Thames Valley.

There was an incident on Binfield Road, Bracknell on Sunday 1 September, where a boy in his teens sustained serious injuries. Whilst riding his e-scooter he swerved to avoid the opening door of a parked van and collided with a lamppost.

There was also an incident at the junction of Avebury Boulevard and Witan Gate, Milton Keynes on Friday 6 September, where a woman in her sixties was struck by someone riding an e-scooter and sustained serious head injuries.

Police say 118 e-scooters and e-bikes have been seized since 1 June. Credit: Thames Valley Police

But police say seizing vehicles is only one part of their response, and that education work is ongoing in schools and with parents.

Community Policing Command Inspector Mike Darrah said: “Dangerous, illegal, and inappropriate use of both e-scooters and e-bikes poses serious risks in the community and is something the public continue to rightly raise to us as a concern.

“These stats highlight the progress we are making in dealing with this issue but as the incidents of the past couple of weeks in different areas of the force show, there is still a lot more work to do.

“Through both seizing vehicles that are being used illegally and continuing to educate people on the laws, preventing offences, our communities will be safer.”

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