Police in Kendal seized an electric bicycle from a young man following calls about his anti-social activity from the public.
South Lakes Police said it stopped and seized an electric bike from a 13-year-old boy on December 30.
The force said that it had been receiving a number of calls from the public throughout the day regarding a young man on an electric bike ‘causing a nuisance’ in the town.
Officers from Cumbria Police’s neighbourhood team followed, stopped and then seized the mode of transport from the young man in a ‘secluded part of town’.
Describing the moment officers tracked down the young man, a South Lakes Police spokesman said: “Just as our young rider was articulating his distaste for his local bobbies, and whilst re-affirming how he wouldn’t be caught, our officer wandered up to him, took hold of his bike and detained him”.
The young man’s parents bought the bicycle for him, police said, but due to the fact that the vehicle does not meet DVSA standards and is uninsurable, the officers seized it under section 165 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
On incidents such as this, South Lakes Police said: “We would like to thank our callers for taking the time to report to us – they have directly ensured the safety of not only a naïve young rider but also the pedestrians and other road users who were placed at risk through his actions.
“We hope that the community will understand that, whilst we are committed to removing bikes such as this, we have to manage the situation carefully, notwithstanding the episodes of ASB and nuisance, we have to ensure that risk to ALL parties is minimised.”
This is the second similar incident relating to an electric bike or scooter being seized by police in Kendal that has happened over the Christmas period.
On December 28, police seized an e-scooter from a young man as part of their crackdown on anti-social behaviour in the town.
