E-bikes seized by police sold on at auction, BBC finds

Image caption, Two of the bikes recently listed on an auction website used by police

E-bikes seized by police forces in the UK are being sold on at auction, despite some fears they could end up back in the hands of criminals, the BBC can reveal.

Thousands are confiscated annually because they are suspected of being driven illegally, or used in a crime - most are later destroyed, but a BBC investigation has found some are sold on to members of the public in online auctions.

Across the UK, police sold 161 e-bikes last year and 54 in 2024, although the real number could be higher because not every force responded to the BBC's Freedom of Information request.

Some of the forces said they had now ended the practice, but others defended it as a way of putting "money back into policing".