IN the past year, UK police forces have confiscated almost 1,000 electric bikes, many of which have been illegally modified.
A Freedom of Information request by PA Media revealed that police have confiscated hundreds of what have been described as “death traps”, of which the “vast majority” are used for deliveries.
Data showed that in the year leading up to August 2024, 27 forces seized 937 e-bikes – a huge leap up from 511 in the preceding 12 months. Under UK law, electric bikes, also known as e-bikes, must not have a power output exceeding 250 watts and cannot exceed 15.5mph.
But forces are now regularly confiscating bikes that have been modified to travel a lot faster than the law permits; one seized by the City of London Police could reach…
