Skegness market trader fined over dangerous e-scooters

Trading standards officers urged people to buy e-scooters from reputable businesses

A market trader has been fined thousands of pounds after he admitted selling dangerous e-scooters, Lincolnshire Trading Standards said.

Patrick Doherty, of St Andrews Road, Skegness, had 30 unsafe electric scooters for sale at his stall at Fantasy Island Market.

Trading standards officers found the items posed a risk of electrocution, catching fire or even exploding.

Doherty, 55, was ordered to pay £3,502 at Boston Magistrates' Court on Monday.

He pleaded guilty to four toy safety offences of contravening or failing to comply with requirement regulations.

Five e-scooters sent away for testing were found to have counterfeit plugs and fuses.

They were also missing legal safety information which meant they did not meet UK labelling requirements.

'Stark reminder'

Doherty admitted importing some of the items from China without checking if they were safe to use in the UK.

Neil Bartlett, of Lincolnshire Trading Standards, said Doherty had previous convictions for toy safety offences and was therefore "well aware of what his responsibilities are to make sure the products he sells are safe and legal".

"With Christmas just around the corner, it's a stark reminder to check that the presents you're buying are from reputable businesses and are safe to use," he said.

He urged people to check for the CE or UKCA on toys and electrical products.

Dan Moss, area manager for prevention and protection at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, said: "Even legal e-scooters and e-bikes pose a fire risk if they're not used, stored and charged properly.

"But that risk increases immensely if the product itself uses fake or low quality electrical parts that don't meet UK regulations."

He warned people never to leave the products to charge unattended.