A food delivery rider was among hundreds of people caught riding illegal e-bikes described by police as “death traps”.
Police seizures of illegally modified electric bikes (e-bikes) almost doubled in the past year, amid concerns their speed and weight present a lethal threat to pedestrians.
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. Last year, just 511 were seized.
Electric motors fitted to e-bikes must, by law, cut out when a speed of 15.5mph is reached. However, police are increasingly finding many have been modified to reach much higher speeds.
Chris Hook, acting sergeant and part of the City of London Police’s cycle unit, said that a “broad spectrum” of people ride illegally modified e-bikes. These include commuters and food delivery workers, as well as criminals snatching phones from passers-by.
“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,” said A/Sgt Hook.
The speed and weight of illegally modified e-bikes also “massively” heightens the danger for pedestrians involved in collisions, the policeman added.
“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.”
Police operating outside London Liverpool Street railway station earlier this month took just minutes to catch a rider using an illegal e-bike.
The e-bike had a motor with a maximum power output of 500 watts – twice the legal limit of 250w – as well as 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.
A/Sgt Hook said people caught riding illegally adapted e-bikes could face prosecution for offences, such as not having insurance and number plates. However, 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 said.
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).
The overall 83 per cent rise in e-bike confiscations across the country underplays the true scale of the surge, as some police forces did not provide comparable figures.
These include the City of London, which alone confiscated 295 e-bikes 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.
Twenty-seven out of 46 police forces across the country provided data in response to PA’s Freedom of Information requests.
Conversion kits for turning ordinary pedal cycles into e-bikes are available online for as little as £300.
A spokesperson for Electrical Safety First, which campaigns for tougher regulation of e-bikes and e-scooters, said: “Well-manufactured conversion kits, when installed safely by a competent individual, can be a great way of converting a conventional bike into an e-bike.
“However, some kits sold online offer the rider the ability to flout legal speed and power limitations, effectively turning the device into a moped, and may also be sold with substandard components.
“Ad-hoc conversion kits are also often not supplied with a battery or charger, relying on the buyer selecting a compatible pair. Fire becomes a very real risk if the charger voltage is too high for the battery.”
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