WATCH: Footage shows illegal e-scooters and e-bikes ridden across Northampton as police seize 140 vehicles during two-week operation
Footage has been released of illegal e-scooters and e-bikes being ridden across Northampton during a crackdown by police, which saw the seizure of 140 vehicles.
Operation Journey took place between March 14 and March 28 and saw five days of action in response to reports of crime perpetrated by people using e-scooters and e-bikes.
Northamptonshire Police, who worked with the National Police Air Service on the operation, says it responded to “public complaints about these vehicles being ridden in an anti-social manner” of which they say they received at lot of in January and February.
Around 140 of the illegal, private vehicles were seized during the operation, which was a on scale the police had never seen before.
During the crackdown, eight people were arrested after they failed to stop and officers also detained one person on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon and another suspected of domestic stalking. Those stopped also included disqualified drivers, those suspected of drug driving, and those in possession of cannabis. A stolen vehicle was also recovered.
Chief Inspector Johnny Davis-Lyons from the force’s Operations Team said: "The real issue we see is the links to criminality. We see anti-social behaviour, people riding them on the road, on the footpath, in an anti-social manner, then additionally we experience in Northampton town centre massive amounts of drug dealing from these e-bikes and scooters, and then on top of that we’ve seen a number of serious violence offences, where people have hopped off these bikes and scooters and seriously injured or presented weapons to other people.
"This operation, although initially it was targeting the anti-social use and the traffic offences, off the back of that we’ve recovered significant quantities of drugs, made a number of arrests and seized a number of weapons.”
Chief Inspector Davis-Lyons added: “Crime associated with e-bikes and e-scooters is an issue often raised not only to our neighbourhood policing teams but also to our Chief Constable, and it’s important that communities can see that their voices are being heard.
“I am really pleased with the results of Operation Journey, and I they demonstrate how seriously we take those concerns as well as our commitment to keeping Northampton’s streets safe for everyone.”
Police are also keen to encourage members of the public to continue reporting their concerns.