Hordes of e-scooter and e-bike 'nuisances' seized as police crush 'dangerous' vehicles

The operation, carried out last Friday, saw officers take 24 powered two-wheel vehicles off the streets in just one day, many of them uninsured and being ridden illegally around the city centre and surrounding neighbourhoods.

The action forms part of Operation Centurion, a county-wide initiative targeting anti-social behaviour and aimed at tackling the rise in anti-social riding.

This included e-bikes, e-scooters, and off-road bikes, with police now warning that the rise in transport options has impacted communities across Lancashire.

Most of the seized bikes were taken under Section 165 of the Road Traffic Act, meaning they had no insurance or were being ridden without a licence.

Officers warned that the vehicles will now be destroyed to ensure they cannot return to local streets and to send a message about the consequences of illegal riding.

In another case, a moped was confiscated under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act due to anti-social and dangerous driving.

Police warned that riders caught flouting the law risk losing their bikes permanently, along with fines, points on their licence and, in some cases, court action.

Roads Policing Inspector Dean Skelton said the operation wasn't about punishing commuters but protecting the public and dismantling criminal activity linked to the use of illegal vehicles.

"Not only are these e-bikes and e-scooters used illegally, often without the correct insurance or a license, but they are also being ridden in town centres and in a dangerous manner, which puts other road users and members of the public at risk," he said.

He added that the vehicles were found to be increasingly being exploited by drug dealers and organised crime groups.

Mr Skelton shared: "We regularly carry out operations like this one to tackle these vehicles. It is not about taking away someone's mode of transport; it is about keeping the rider and members of the public safe, as well as hindering those who use these bikes for criminal activity such as drug dealing."

Inspector Skelton urged residents to keep reporting problem riders to the police, promising to offer continued enforcement.

He said: "I hope this shows the residents of Preston that we are listening to your concerns, we are taking action, and we will continue to do so."

Operation Centurion, backed by Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw, has been running across Lancashire to support neighbourhood policing teams in targeting anti-social behaviour hotspots.

The Commissioner has pledged to "get tough" on offenders, saying residents are tired of feeling unsafe in their communities and want to see visible action.

Although e-bikes and e-scooters have become increasingly popular across the UK, police stressed that only certain models can be used legally and only under strict rules.

Privately-owned e-scooters remain illegal to ride on public roads, pavements and cycle lanes.

If caught riding a private e-scooter on public roads, riders can be slapped with a fixed penalty of £300 or six points on a licence for driving a motor vehicle with no insurance.

Residents in affected areas have repeatedly raised concerns about young riders tearing through pedestrian zones, shopping streets and parks at speed, often without helmets or regard for other road users.