UK Lets Police Seize Illegal E-Motorbikes Instantly, Cutting Destruction Wait to 7 Days
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 20
UK Lets Police Seize Illegal E-Motorbikes Instantly, Cutting Destruction Wait to 7 Days
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 20
Summary
Police in the UK can now seize vehicles used anti-socially without first issuing a warning, and the wait to destroy seized bikes has been cut from 14 days to seven.
The change targets illegal electric motorbikes that residents say are racing through towns, mounting pavements, performing wheelies and intimidating pedestrians, often with masked riders.
Sussex and Surrey officers say enforcement is difficult because many bikes can exceed 40mph, some approach 60mph, and riders often flee onto footpaths, fields and other off-road routes.
The risks have included near misses in Burgess Hill, a rider arrested after wheelies in Dorking, and a fatal 2025 Sunderland crash in which 86-year-old Gloria Stephenson was killed on a crossing.
Officials and industry groups say social-media-fuelled demand is helping spread illegal use, while the new powers are meant to stop offenders quickly reclaiming and reusing seized bikes.