Police seize thousands of modified e-scooters being ridden illegally as ... trends now

Thousands of 'lethal' e-scooters are being seized by police each year as brazen drivers flout rules by riding on pavements and while drunk or high.

A total of 1,111 e-scooters were confiscated across 20 police forces last year after a spate of illegal behaviour by people using the devices.

And the overall figure is likely to be much higher as the remaining 23 constabularies in the UK did not reveal statistics on the seizures.

In 2022, a whopping 1,134 were confiscated - a dramatic increase from the 760 taken away from owners the year before.

The relatively new mode of transport has also had a surge in popularity among those drug-dealers and criminals snatching mobile phones.

Some e-scooters have even been modified so they can exceed the speed limit of 15.5mph.

The data, obtained in a series of Freedom of Information requests submitted by The Telegraph, showed that most of the confiscations were made when drivers were stopped for using the devices without insurance.

Only e-scooters from official rental companies can be used legally on public roads and cycle lines.

Riders must have a provisional or full driving licence and the rental company must provide insurance.

Users do not need to wear a helmet but are encouraged to and it is against the law to drive privately owned e-scooters on public roads although they can be used on private property.

A number of the seizures were linked to road traffic collisions while others were associated with a variety of different crimes, including theft and drug-dealing.

Some 22 regions across the country have joined e-scooter trials introduced by then transport secretary Grant Schapps in 2020. 

The City of London takes around five devices off the street during an average week, amounting to a total of 286 last year.

This represented a vast increase on the 46 confiscated in 2022.

Meanwhile Essex Police seized 673 e-scooters in the last three years with two collisions in the county causing deaths between 2021 and 2022.

Some 341 devices were confiscated by Norfolk Police in that time, with six involved in collisions, while Suffolk Police took 187 off the road with six associated with criminal behaviour.

One device in both Norfolk and Suffolk was reported to have been involved in a serious or fatal collision. 

Officers at these two constabularies are now encouraged to seize e-scooters and prosecute users whenever they come across an illegally used device. 

Many of the confiscated e-scooters are disposed of or auctioned off while some are impounded in storage.

Some devices are handed back to owners as they can be used on private property.

Sarah Gayton of the National Federation of the Blind called for all of the e-scooter trials to be scrapped.

She told MailOnline: 'We want them all off the street and the Government to act to stop selling them.

'There needs to be an amnesty to taking them back. 

'We desperately need this trial to be shut down.' 

Ms Gayton added: 'Blind and visually impaired people want to walk and exercise but this is spiralling out of control – can you imagine what our town centres will be like once they're legalised?

'The pavement is for people to get from A to B and not for people to do their

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