'Nuisance' electric dirt bikes and scooters seized

Police said vehicles will be crushed after they were seized for not having insurance or because their riders did not have a licence

About 100 electric motorbikes, throttle bikes and scooters have been seized by police in Lancashire at the start of the summer holidays.

The clampdown was part of a Lancashire Police operation on anti-social behaviour in Blackpool and Preston, which are among the areas with the highest number of reports of vehicle nuisance.

Officers said 40 vehicles were seized in Ribbleton in Preston - some for not having insurance - and that they would be crushed.

A number of other stolen vehicles and quantities of cannabis were also found by police.

Roads policing inspector Dean Skelton said: "We are seeing an increase in the use of illegal bikes and scooters in criminal activity such as drug dealing."

He said they were used "illegally, often without the correct insurance or license, but they are also being ridden in town centers and in really dangerous manners, which puts other road users and members of the public at risk".

"This is in addition to those bikes which have been adapted at home, which pose further safety risks."

Police said the above bicycle had been illegally adapted by a 15-year-old and could reach, more than 40 mph

Specialist support

Insp Skelton added that the operation was "not about taking away someone's mode of transport, it is about keeping the rider and members of the public safe, as well as hindering criminals who use these bikes as a mode of transport".

Officers said they also informed "some young people and their parents" with advice on the law around the vehicles.

Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw added: "It remains one of the most pressing concerns raised by residents throughout Lancashire."

The force has also boosted their fleet with six specialist motorcycles as they try to counter anti-social behaviour.

Rules on electric-powered bikes

• If an electric-powered two-wheeled vehicle does not fit into the category of electrically-assisted pedal cycle (EAPC), it must be registered, insured and taxed.

• Users also need to have a valid driving licence to ride non-EAPC electric bikes and scooters, and wear a motorcycle helmet that meets British safety standards.

• The vehicles can only be ridden on roads.