Boy played chicken with cars on Durham street on E-scooter

Members of the public contacted police about an increase in the dangerous use of off-road vehicles in the Brandon area of Durham.

Officers from the Framwellgate Moor and Meadowfield Neighbourhood team went to investigate and found a young male on an E-scooter that was held together with string, wearing no protective equipment.

He was racing along Commercial Street, weaving in and out of the central white lines, playing chicken with cars and zigzagging on the pavements.

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A spokesperson for Durham Police said: “The officers had no option but to take the scooter off him to protect him and the other road users.

“The young man could now face prosecution and so could the adults who bought the scooter for contravening the road traffic act and allowing the use of the vehicle on the public highway.”

The seized electric scooter Picture: DURHAM CONSTABULARY

E scooter owners and parents have been reminded that, in UK law, an electric scooter is classified as a “powered transporter”, alongside products such as hoverboards, “go-peds” and powered unicycles.

Due to the way in which “powered transporters” are designed and motorised, every product in this classification – including electric scooters – falls within the legal definition of a “motor vehicle” in the UK.

This means that in order to be road legal, an electric scooter would need to meet all the standards required of motor vehicles by the Road Traffic Act 1988.

These are the same, stringent standards which cars are required to meet and would include being registered with the DVLA, licensed, taxed, insured and fitted with number plates.

This same “powered transporter” classification is also the reason that electric scooters cannot be legally used on pavements or cycle lanes.

The spokesperson added: “Quite simply, motor vehicles cannot be used on pavements or cycle lanes – and in the eyes of the law an electric scooter is a motor vehicle.

“Officers do use common sense when they find children on E scooters but when they are a danger to themselves and to others, they will take the appropriate action.”

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