Sofia Duarte: Mum calls for e-bike battery rules after daughter death

Sofia Duarte's mother wants to raise awareness of the dangers of lithium batteries

The mother of a woman who died in a fire thought to be caused by a converted e-bike battery is petitioning the government for more regulation.

Maria Frasquilho Macarro's daughter, Sofia Duarte, 21, died in the fire at her flat on Old Kent Road, Southwark, on New Year's Day 2023.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) is backing the new petition.

The government previously said those making and selling consumer products must ensure they were safe.

The petition calls for urgent government action to implement regulations on e-bikes, e-scooters as well as the batteries and the chargers sold with them.

Speaking as her only daughter would have marked her 23rd birthday, Ms Frasquilho Macarro said: "This matters so much to me, because the most important thing in my whole world has been taken away - all because of some stupid bike."

"It feels like a nightmare and I can't wake up," Sofia Duarte's mother said

Ms Duarte's family friend Alda Simoes, who set up the petition, said: "We don't want Sofia to die in vain, sadly deaths are continuing to happen.

"Tragically, others have lost their lives up and down the UK, and there are many who have suffered serious injuries too. We must stop this happening today, not tomorrow. Together we can make change."

More than 17,000 signatures have been collected so far in support of the petition, and the charity Electrical Safety First has also lent its support to the campaign.

London Fire Brigade said it was worried there would be more deaths like Ms Duarte's

Following the fire in south-east London, LFB said investigators found a bicycle had been converted into an e-bike and the bike's lithium battery pack had failed, causing the fire and blocking Ms Duarte's escape route.

• Mother calls for e-bike rules after daughter's death

• Woman dies in south London flat fire

• 40% of e-bike fires from conversion kits - LFB

The brigade added such conversion kits enabled people to add an electric motor to their bikes, but not all of them are sold with a battery.

Cheaper batteries sold online do not necessarily adhere to UK safety regulations, and were more likely to fail and present an increased fire risk, it added.

It has now launched a campaign called Charge Safe, which is calling for people to follow safety advice.

LFB said it was safest to buy an e-bike from a "trusted and reputed retailer"

LFB's e-bike safety advice:

• Never block your escape route

• Check your battery and charger meets UK safety standards, use the correct charger, and always buy an official item from a reputable seller

• Let the battery cool down before charging it, and unplug it when it's finished charging

• Install fire alarms where you are charging your e-bike or e-scooter, and test them regularly

An inquest into Ms Duarte's death is ongoing and LFB said it had been granted special permission to raise awareness of the fire risks to try to prevent future deaths.

It comes as LFB data shows that on average there was a fire every two days in 2023, and last year the total number of fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters went up almost 60%, at 183 compared to 116 in 2022.

Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience Fiona Twycross said: "Sofia's death was a tragedy that should never have happened. I'm proud to support the tireless campaigning of her family and friends to ensure this tragedy is not repeated."

She called on the government to introduce a "long overdue regulatory framework to improve safety".

Charlie Pugsley, LFB's assistant commissioner for fire safety, said: "Cheaper parts bought online are more likely to be unsafe, increasing the risk of a fire. We always recommend purchasing items from a reputable high-street seller.

'Too good to be true'

"If there's an offer that seems too good to be true, it probably is. It is also essential to use the correct charger for the battery, otherwise the risk of fire is much greater."

She added the Office for Product Safety and Standards was researching e-bike fires, but said the findings needed "to be released as soon as possible".

"Along with conversion kits, batteries and chargers also require much-needed legislation to ensure these products are more strictly regulated," she said.

Current government requirements stipulate electrically assisted pedal cycles (EAPCs) must show the power output, the battery's voltage and have a maximum power output of 250 watts.

A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson previously said: "Manufacturers, importers and distributors of consumer products must ensure that the products supplied, including the batteries and chargers that power them, are safe and that they have complied with the relevant product safety regulations before placing their products on the UK market."

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