City of London Police seize more illegal e-bikes than any other force with one modified to hit 70mph

Transcript

00:00Police in the City of London have seized more illegal e-bikes than any other force.

00:04This included one capable of travelling 70 miles an hour.

00:07Under UK law, e-bike motors must cut out when a speed of 15.5 miles an hour is reached.

00:13The number of modified e-bikes on the capital's roads is increasing.

00:16Some are even used by criminal gangs to mug Londoners for their mobile phones.

00:20The bikes also pose a threat to pedestrians who cannot hear them coming at high speeds,

00:24making it difficult for the rider to brake before a collision.

00:27This year, City of London Police alone confiscated 295 modified e-bikes.

00:32937 were confiscated across the UK.

00:35Conversion kits are available online for as little as £300,

00:38and the bikes don't look much different to normal e-bikes,

00:41making it easy for riders to avoid detection.

00:44It's also common for officers to find e-bikes that can be powered without the pedals being turned,

00:48effectively making them electric motorbikes.

00:50People caught riding an illegally adapted e-bike could face prosecution for a variety of offences,

00:55such as not having insurance and thugs.

00:58But on most occasions, the only action taken is to destroy their vehicle.