Record 2,500 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters seized by Met Police
The Metropolitan Police have seized over 2,500 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters in 2026, surpassing last year's total. The crackdown utilizes new portable roadside testing technology to identify modified vehicles that exceed legal speed limits.
Why it matters
This reflects growing urban safety concerns regarding micro-mobility regulations and the use of modified electric vehicles in public spaces.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, The seizures were part of an ongoing crackdown on the illegal modification and dangerous use of two-wheelers by the Met Police
More than 2,500 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters have been seized by the Metropolitan Police so far in 2026 – more than the number seized during the whole of last year.
The record figures come as the force continues to crack down on the two-wheelers in a bid to improve road safety and cut crimes such as phone thefts.
It is illegal to ride privately owned e-scooters on public roads in the UK, while e-bikes must meet certain requirements.
Cdr Neerav Patel, who leads the Met's crackdown on e-bikes, said that by combining new technology with "an intelligence-led approach to precisely target hotspot areas, we have cleared thousands of two-wheelers from our streets and crushed them".
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