'Illegal e-scooter riders are a menace'

Up and down the country police forces are seizing and crushing privately owned electric scooters that have been used illegally on roads and pavements.

They can be used on private land with permission, but you still cannot use them on public roads unless you hire one from a government-backed rental scheme.

Despite warnings about the law, misuse continues and was witnessed by BBC South East reporters who were given exclusive access to a police operation targeting illegal riding.

Using an unmarked police car, officers quickly and repeatedly caught riders flouting the rules, as figures obtained by the BBC suggest hundreds of e-scooters are being seized by police in the region each year.

One of the officers the BBC joined during the operation, PC Jonathon Rogers, admitted there were often other crimes connected to e-scooter misuse.

"A lot of the e-scooters and the bikes are linked to other kind of routes to ASB (anti social behaviour) whether it be criminal damage or low level drug supply," he said.

During the three-day operation in the Medway Towns, Kent Police seized 23 e-scooters and other nuisance vehicles.

Chf Insp Paul Diddams said: "Every day officers work with local communities to gather information and deter those intent on using vehicles to cause anti-social behaviour."

Figures obtained by the BBC showed the Kent force seized 335 of the vehicles last year, Sussex made 150 seizures and Surrey 249.

Edward Dark, from Epsom, Surrey, said a local park he used with his child had been repeatedly targeted by e-scooter riders.

"There was a time last year where it was horrible, to the point were my son was terrified about going to a playground next to his school," he said.

"There were near misses with prams, children, elderly residents, dogs almost being run over."

Dark said Surrey Police had taken recent action.

"The police have been in touch in the last few weeks to tell me more seizures have been happening," he added.

Sarah Carter, who was left with a fractured jaw and a broken arm after being hit by an e-scooter in Canterbury in 2022, said their continued illegal use was a "menace".

"You often see them with two people on one giving lifts. Sometimes I yell at them 'it's illegal'.

"But they go fast and they don't listen."

However, Carter accepts private e-scooters could be legalised for use on public roads in future, with the right safety protections in place.

"In some ways I think it's inevitable they get allowed with some regulation, but some towns are much more suitable for having dedicated pathways than others."

As the crackdown on anti-social and illegal use of e-scooters continues, campaigners have been calling for new regulations that would regulate private use in public places.

In February, transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the government was looking to introduce new rules to regulate e-scooters' use.

She said regulations covering speed limits and safety requirements, like lights and working brakes, would be introduced as soon as possible.

Ben Small, from Small Street Escooters in Portslade, in East Sussex, said he would welcome new laws.

"We think it is time to legalise them for use on our roads, they provide an eco friendly alternative to short trip car users," he said.

He said there would need to be a number of safety features implemented if they were given the go-ahead.

"These should include compulsory safety wear, minimum age limits, speed restrictions, safety features such as lighting, brakes and a minimum tyre size of 10 inches, and insurance."

The government said it would assess more than 50 e-scooter rental schemes across the country ahead of any new legislation.

A scheme was trialled in Canterbury between 2020 and 2022.

A new hire scheme could be introduced in Brighton and Hove, involving up to 400 e-scooters.

The proposals, which are being discussed on Thursday, are dividing opinion.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "We know the law needs updating to make sure e-scooters are safe for everyone on the road and have committed to regulating them as soon as possible.

"The trials currently running are allowing us to understand how e-scooters operate in the real-world in a controlled way, ahead of legislating for them to be used more widely."

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