Cheshire Police have seized and destroyed six e-scooters being ridden on public highways in nearby Crewe and have warned they will do the same in all towns if parents buy them for children at Christmas.

Police and crime commissioner John Dwyer also urged residents to report their neighbours if they had the vehicles and were riding them illegally on public roads or pavements.

The law states any electric scooter cannot be used legally on the road anywhere in the UK. They can only be used on private land – with permission. The exception to this is rental scooters, which can now be used legally on roads. Riders must also be over 16 and have a full or provisional driving licence.

E-bikes can be ridden on public roads but riders need to be over the age of 14. Those under the age of 14 can ride e-bikes off-road only.

Mr Dwyer told Friday's (November 24) meeting of the Cheshire police and crime panel: "Travelling at speed on a pavement on an electric bike or a scooter can have catastrophic consequences if you're in a collision with a pedestrian, and so this is why I've urged parents to think again about purchasing such items.

"I've actually gone on to say that when the police are able to, they will seize these vehicles and will destroy them. So buying one of these for Christmas is actually a waste of money because we'll destroy it and I don't want people to waste their money."

Panel chair Evan Morris said there were issues with food deliveries now being made on e-bikes.

He highlighted Chester as a problem area and said: "The speed at which they're travelling the wrong way up Eastgate street at night without lights."

advertisement

The police commissioner said it was becoming a problem across the county.

"Clearly the police, when they see these vehicles, can't just run after them because there's no way you can catch them doing 30-odd miles an hour, which they shouldn't be doing anyway," said Mr Dwyer.

He said although the bikes were regulated to 15mph, some had been 'tinkered with' and travelled faster.

And he encouraged people to report those using e-scooters and e-bikes where they shouldn't be.

"What we're looking for is for the public, who will know their neighbours have got these things, if they want to ring Crimestoppers to say Joe Bloggs, whatever address, has actually got one of these, then we can actually start targeting them at source as it were," said Mr Dwyer.

"When they're seen they will be seized if we can get to them and they will be destroyed. We recently did a campaign over in Crewe and six were seized and six have now been destroyed."