Newcastle students banned from driving after being caught riding Neuron e-scooters while drunk

George Breese was stopped by police while riding the orange Neuron scooters while under the influence along streets in Jesmond. Credit: NCJMEDIA Syndication

Two students have been banned from the roads after they were caught riding e-scooters while over the limit.

Within the space of 24 hours, both Alisdair Anderson and George Breese were stopped by police while riding the orange Neuron scooters along streets in Jesmond.

Both men were arrested after failing roadside breath tests, with Anderson giving a reading of 62mcg in 100ml of breath and Breese 51mcg. The legal limit is 35mcg.

The 21-year-olds, who were both living in Jesmond at the time, have now each been given a 12-month driving ban after they pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol during separate hearings at Newcastle Magistrates' Court.

They were also fined £120 each and must pay £85 costs and a £48 victim surcharge.

First in the dock was Anderson, of Cavendish Place, in Jesmond. Prosecutor, Lillian Yanes Hellevik, said police were travelling along Osborne Road at around 12:20am on 18 January this year when they spotted Anderson on the scooter.

The Neuron electrical scooters have been available to hire in Newcastle since February 2021. Credit: PA

Ms Yanes Hellevik continued: "They could see the defendant was moving from the pavement to the road and swerving in the middle of the road.

"They stopped the defendant and spoke with him. He told them he had been drinking. He was arrested after failing a roadside breath test."

Michael Gibson, defending, said Anderson was a final year economics student at Newcastle University and had never been in trouble with the police before.

He added: "As he was walking back from town with friends in the early hours of the morning, they came across these orange scooters.

"The idea came to them collectively to ride them. He didn't know it would be treated the same as if he was driving a vehicle. He rides it for one or two minutes until he's stopped."

Next in the dock was Breese, of Malton, North Yorkshire. Glenda Beck, prosecuting, said the student was caught on one of the scooters on Sandyford Road on 19 January this year.

Sophie Allinson, defending, said Breese was "utterly embarrassed" to find himself before a court. She added: "These scooters are parked up in student areas and next to the nightlife. It's not well publicised that they are under the same legislation as a motor vehicle."

The Neuron electrical scooters have been available to hire in Newcastle since February 2021. They will be a fixture in the city until 2024, after an extension to their trial was agreed between Neuron and Newcastle City Council.

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