Calls grow for crackdown on illegal e-bikes as confiscations rise across Wiltshire

Pressure is mounting on retailers and online sellers to tighten controls on illegally modified e-bikes, after Wiltshire Police reported a noticeable rise in confiscations across the county over the summer months.

Officers say a growing number of the machines being seized are capable of speeds well beyond the legal limit for what is classed as an electrically assisted pedal cycle, effectively turning them into unregistered, uninsured motor vehicles the moment they hit the road.

Under current rules, an e-bike must have pedals that provide assistance only up to 15.5mph and a motor no more powerful than 250 watts to be treated the same as an ordinary bicycle. Anything beyond that is legally classed differently and, in many cases, cannot be ridden lawfully on public roads or pavements without proper registration, insurance and a licence.

Community safety groups in towns including Salisbury, Trowbridge and Chippenham have raised concerns about young riders using heavily modified bikes at speed through pedestrian areas, with several near-misses reported in recent months.

The issue has also been linked to a small number of more serious incidents this year, including a collision involving a teenager and a car in Chippenham that left the rider needing hospital treatment.

Wiltshire Police say enforcement activity has stepped up in response, with officers carrying out spot checks in known hotspots and working alongside trading standards to identify sellers offering bikes that do not meet legal requirements.

A force spokesperson said the aim was not to discourage e-bike use altogether, given their popularity as a cheaper and greener way to get around, but to make sure riders and buyers understood the difference between a legally compliant machine and one that effectively needs to be treated as a moped or motorbike.

Parents have also been urged to check exactly what they are buying before handing over a modified e-bike as a gift, with several confiscated machines this year understood to have been bought online without the buyer fully realising the legal restrictions attached to them.

Local councillors have backed calls for clearer labelling and stronger checks at the point of sale, arguing that responsibility should not fall solely on police to catch illegal machines once they are already on the road.

Some retailers in the county have voluntarily reviewed their stock in recent weeks, removing certain models pending further checks on their specifications, though campaigners say a more consistent, nationwide approach is still needed.

Officers have stressed that any e-bike found not to meet legal standards can be seized on the spot, and riders caught using one without the necessary insurance or licence can face prosecution in the same way as someone riding an unregistered moped.

Anyone with concerns about illegal e-bike use in their area is being encouraged to report it to Wiltshire Police through the non-emergency line, with officers saying local information continues to play a key role in identifying hotspots.

With demand for e-bikes continuing to grow across the county, police say the coming months are likely to see further enforcement activity as part of a wider effort to keep both riders and pedestrians safe.