Man vows to stay away from e-scooters after breaking leg in Redditch

Dan Gavin, who works as a supervisor for a window cleaning company said he will be unable to work for five months

A man has said he will never use an e-scooter again after breaking his leg while using one.

Window cleaning supervisor Dan Gavin, 36, skidded while attempting to park one of the electronic vehicles on a footpath in Redditch, Worcestershire.

The accident, earlier this month, left him with a broken leg and unable to work or drive for about five months.

Bird, the company behind e-scooters in Redditch, has been contacted for a comment.

US firm Bird has also run a rental scheme within London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Mr Gavin said he had been on his way home at about 21:00 BST on 10 April when he swerved to avoid a roadworks sign. He then collided with a hedge.

"The pain I felt was excruciating," he told BBC Hereford and Worcester.

An X-ray revealed the crash had caused him to fracture the bone in his left leg and damage the cartilage in the knee, leading to a five-hour operation.

His father, John, has had to step in as his carer.

Dan Gavin suffered a broken leg and damaged cartilage in the knee following the crash

"I'm worried that it could have an impact on my life further down the line as well, " the supervisor for a window cleaning firm said.

"The speed that you can go on them and the way in which you are stood on them, if you come off them, the injuries are significant.

"Absolutely no question about it, I will never go on a scooter ever again."

Redditch launched its e-scooter trial in September 2020.

A similar trial in Birmingham ended in February when the contract between Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and the Swedish company Voi, which supplied the vehicles, ended amid a bid for a new provider.

The Department for Transport has said the current trial in Redditch will only be extended after a public consultation.