'Death traps' used by crooks: UK police report surge in illegal e-bike seizures

Delivery riders, commuters, crooks. A broad spectrum of riders have been making use of modified e-bikes, say police, who have confiscated more than 900 souped-up machines across the UK in the past year.

Those numbers are almost double those of the year before.

The illegally modified bikes, which are often heavy and very fast – one was capable of 70mph – pose a potential threat to life, police say.

The exact figures, obtained by the PA news agency in a Freedom of Information request, show that 937 machines were seized in the year to August 11, against 511 in the previous 12 months.

Of the more recent haul, City of London Police confiscated 295.

Police forces with large increases in e-bike seizures from 2023 to 2024 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). However, these numbers just reflect those that had been stopped by police.

By law, e-bike motors should have a maximum continuous power output of 250 watts and cut out when the bike reaches 15.5mph (25kph). Going faster than this is perfectly permissible, but it has to be under the rider's own steam.

Conversion kits bought online for £300 can enable a standard pedal cycle to become an illegal "death trap", as another officer described the machines.

Acting Sergeant Chris Hook of the City of London force said that the bikes were the ideal tool for smash-and-grab phone thefts by criminals.

“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/S Hook.

The increased speed and weight of the machines also meant they posed a "massively" heightened danger towards pedestrians in collisions, he said.

“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.”

E-bike seizures have surged in the past year, with the biggest increases seen by the South Wales Police (up from 66 to 137 seizures), and Police Scotland (up from 60 to 233).

While it was possible to prosecute riders of the illegal bikes for offences such as not having a number plate, in most cases the machines were simply destroyed, said A/S Hook.

Ben Pepper, a senior associate at Bolt Burdon Kemp legal firm, said that bikes that exceed the 15.5mph powered limit become, in law, mopeds and motorcycles.

"[It would] need to be registered and taxed," he said. "It would also require mirrors, a horn and a number plate. The rider would also need a licence and a helmet.

"Riding a more powerful e-bike is therefore illegal and for good reason. There is an increased likelihood of causing life-threatening injuries when e-bikes have more powerful motors and are ridden at faster speeds."

The illegality of the machines also made it potentially difficult for riders to recover damages in an accident where another road user was at fault, he said.

"It can be problematic for the injured e-bike rider to recover damages for their injuries and financial losses. This is because the defendant’s insurer may seek to argue that the rider was committing a criminal act by riding an illegal e-bike, and therefore refuse to pay out compensation on that basis," he explained.

A spokesperson for Electrical Safety First 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."