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

Police seizures of illegally modified electric bikes have soared amid increasing concerns they are a “death trap” for pedestrians and riders, an investigation has found.

Forces across the UK confiscated 937 e-bikes in the year to 11 August, according to Freedom of Information figures – compared with 511 recorded during the previous 12 months.

Police are increasingly finding many have been modified to reach much faster speeds – one bike recently seized in London was capable of reaching 70mph and featured an electronic display indicating it had covered more than 6,000 miles.

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

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.

Acting Sergeant Chris Hook, from City of London Police, said the speed and weight of illegally modified e-bikes “massively” heightens the danger for pedestrians involved in collisions.

He 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.”

The acting sergeant noted a “broad spectrum” of people ride illegally modified e-bikes, such as commuters, food delivery workers and criminals snatching phones.

In one operation outside London’s Liverpool Street railway station this month, police caught a rider using an illegal e-bike featuring a motor with a maximum power output of 500 watts, which is twice the legal limit.

The bike also had severely worn out tyres and a bundle of loose electric wires stored in a soaking wet pouch.

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

Another seized by police in central London had a 2,000 watt motor and could travel at 73mph.

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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.

Anyone aged 14 or over can ride an e-bike, which do not need to be registered, taxed or insured.