E-bike seizures surge as police take ‘death trap’ contraptions off the streets

Police seizures of illegally modified electric bikes (e-bikes) soared in the past year amid concerns their speed and weight present a lethal threat to pedestrians, an investigation has found.

Forces across the UK confiscated 937 e-bikes in the year to August 11, according to Freedom of Information (FoI) figures obtained by the PA news agency.

That is compared with 511 during the previous 12 months.

Under UK law, e-bike motors must cut out when a speed of 15.5mph is reached.

But police are increasingly finding many have been modified to reach much faster speeds.

It is also common for officers to find e-bikes that can be powered without the pedals being turned, effectively making them electric mopeds or motorbikes which must be registered and taxed.

Conversion kits are available online for as little as £300.

City of London Police recently seized an e-bike capable of reaching 70mph, which featured an electronic display indicating it had covered more than 6,000 miles.

During another operation outside London Liverpool Street railway station earlier this month, it took officers just minutes to catch a rider using an illegal e-bike.

The e-bike had a motor with a maximum power output was 500 watts – twice the legal limit – as well as severely worn out tyres and a bundle of loose electric wires stored in a soaking wet pouch.

An officer at the scene described it as “a death trap”, adding: “This could easily kill him or someone else.”

No action was taken against the rider – a food delivery worker – but his e-bike was confiscated and will likely be destroyed.

Twenty-seven out of 46 police forces provided data in response to PA’s Freedom of Information requests.

Among the forces with the largest year-on-year increases in e-bike seizures were Wiltshire Police (from 24 to 64), Police Scotland (from 60 to 233), Derbyshire Police (from four to 23), Northumbria Police (from 18 to 58) and South Wales Police (from 66 to 137).

Some forces said their figures related to all e-bike seizures, while others specified their statistics were for illegal e-bikes.

The overall 83% rise in e-bike confiscations suggested by the investigation underplays the true scale of the surge, as some forces did not provide comparable figures.

These include City of London, which alone confiscated 295 in the year to August 11 – more than all other forces that provided data – but could not issue a total for the previous 12 months.

Acting Sergeant Chris Hook, who is part of the leadership team within the force’s cycle unit established in July 2023, explained that a “broad spectrum” of people ride illegally modified e-bikes, such as commuters, food delivery workers and criminals snatching phones.

He said: “The high speed and power of these vehicles means they’re ideal for riders to come in, take the phone and get away before the victim knows what’s happened.”

The speed and weight of illegally modified e-bikes also “massively” heightens the danger for pedestrians involved in collisions, Acting Sgt Hook said.

“The heaviest one I’ve seen was in excess of 50kg. That bike (could reach over) 60mph.

“If that impacts with somebody, it’s likely to cause either serious injury or, God forbid, death.”

Acting Sgt Hook said people caught riding an illegally adapted e-bikes could face prosecution for a variety of offences such as not having insurance and number plates.

But on most occasions, the only action taken is to destroy their vehicle.

This “keeps them and the public safe”, and going beyond that “doesn’t feel reasonable”, he added.

Tanya Braun, director of policy and communications at walking charity Living Streets, said illegally modified e-bikes used on pavements “pose the same danger and provoke the same fear as a motorbike coming up alongside a pedestrian”.

She stressed the need for “properly resourcing community policing” to support enforcement of e-bike laws, and for awareness of the safety hazard the vehicles create so users “know what it is they are buying”.