More than 500 e-scooters seized by police in London in a week

Police were proactively looking for e-scooters, which are illegal on public roads (Picture: Getty)

Hundreds of people in London had their e-scooters seized by police last week.

The Metropolitan Police revealed that its officers confiscated 507 of the devices following ‘proactive patrols’ across all of the capital’s boroughs.

The enforcement action was triggered by increasing usage of private e-scooters, which can only legally be ridden on private land in the UK.

Chief Superintendent Simon Ovens said: ‘Private use of e-scooters remains illegal on London roads.

‘Riders using e-scooters on the road risk fines, points on their licence, and e-scooter seizures if they continue to use them on public road networks.’

Dozens of legalised e-scooter rental schemes have been launched in British cities since July last year as part of Government trials – with a programme beginning in parts of London earlier this month.

But there have been long-running safety concerns about e-scooters.

A police officer puts a confiscated Electric Scooter into police van (Picture: Getty)

Some trial schemes are running in various UK cities which allow e-scooters on the roads (Picture: Getty)

Hundreds of riders will have been left unimpressed with the measures (Picture: Getty)

The latest crackdown follows news that 800 e-scooters had been seized in the capital so far this year.

E-scooter rider Shakur Pinnock, 20, died in hospital on June 18, six days after he was involved in a crash with a car in Wolverhampton.

He is believed to be the second e-scooter rider to die following an incident on UK roads.

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YouTube star and TV presenter Emily Hartridge died after she was struck by a lorry while riding one in Battersea, south London, in July 2019.

In April, a three-year-old boy suffered serious injuries when he was hit from behind by an e-scooter while walking on a pavement with his grandmother in Feltham, west London.

Charity Guide Dogs has called for the sale of private high-speed e-scooters to be banned, and expressed fear that their use means some blind or partially blind people are being forced to change their route or avoid independent travel altogether.

The Met’s latest initiative lasted a week, and ended on Sunday, June 20.

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MORE : E-scooters rolled out across London with strict rules to stay off pavements