Police to confiscate and crush illegal e-bikes

Cumbria Police is targeting illegal e-bikes and antisocial behaviour

A police force targeting the use of illegal e-bikes has warned riders that vehicles which fall foul of the law would be confiscated and crushed.

Cumbria Police said its 15-week long operation would focus on electric scooters and bikes, antisocial behaviour and drug dealing.

Electrically assisted pedal cycles are legal to ride as long as they do not travel beyond 15.5mph (25km/h) while in powered mode.

Cumbria's Police Fire and Crime Commissioner David Allen said he received reports about the misuse of electric scooters and bikes "on a regular basis".

He said the operation would also focus on anti-social driving, adding: "I know from doing my survey last year it is literally the second most reported thing after antisocial behaviour."

On Thursday he heard residents' concerns in the Morton area of Carlisle and said: "I've come across a few residents and spoken to a lot of people whose main concerns were, no surprises: e-scooters, certainly use on pavements and drug dealing in the local area."

It is only legal to ride an e-scooter on private land or in a city that is part of a regulated scheme, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Mr Allen warned riders to "look out, drive properly, make sure your e-bike's legal" otherwise it "would be taken off you and it will be crushed".

Insp Andy Leather said anti-social behaviour had reduced but officers "were not complacent".