"Please stop buying your children illegal e-scooters" as police seize more in anti-social behaviour crackdown
Plea for parents to stop buying illegal e-scooters
Illegal e-scooters and e-bikes have been seized by police cracking down on anti-social behaviour in Leigh Park - with a plea to parents to stop buying them.
Officers seized 10 illegal vehicles during the operation on Friday (June 5) which also saw a suspect dealt with for possession of a class A controlled drug, education provided about tinted windows on a car, and the arrest of a suspect wanted on a domestic abuse matter.
Hampshire Police also arrested of a suspect following an incident where a suspicious vehicle collided with an police car. The driver fled on foot but was tackled moments after and arrested for numerous offences.
Chief Inspector Matt Moss said: “We know the anti-social behaviour and general offending by people on e-bikes and scooters is a real issue for you, so we regularly carry out operations to target those using and abusing them.
“Electric scooters and bikes similar to those pictured are illegal unless registered, insured and MOT'd. In particular to the parents out there who buy these items for your children - please stop.”
Rules on privately-owned e-scooters
- You can ride them on private land only. You cannot ride them on public roads, pavements, cycle lanes, or in parks.
- If caught riding in public, you can receive a fixed penalty, points on your driving licence, and have the e-scooter seized by the police.
- They are legally classed as motor vehicles, meaning they require MOT, road tax, and insurance. But because it is impossible to get insurance for them, using them in public is illegal.