Met rolls out new testing kits to crack down on illegal e-bikes and e-scooters

New testing kits are being rolled out by the Metropolitan Police to crack down on illegal e-bikes and e-scooters, with a record number of the vehicles seized so far in 2026.

The Met seized 29 e-bikes and seven e-scooters by Tottenham Court Road Station on Friday as part of Operation Lexand, which specifically targeted illegal electric two-wheelers as part of a wider Met initiative to tackle phone theft and neighbourhood crime.

It is the seventh such operation in London this year, with five more scheduled through the summer.

The project has helped the Met seize more than 2,500 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters in 2026, surpassing the 2,241 seized in the entirety of 2025.

To help efficiently test if a vehicle is illegal, new technology was used to measure whether they could propel themselves faster than 15.5mph through electrically assisted pedals, batteries or throttles.

Officers were stationed at two stop sites close to Tottenham Court Road Station – a location with a disproportionately high amount of e-bike traffic owing to higher crime rates and phone theft – with officers in plain clothing assisting to pull over users and test the bike’s speed.

If they were found to be too fast, and drivers were not properly licensed or insured, the bikes were taken away to be impounded – with owners given 14 days to provide the correct documentation before vehicles are stripped for recyclable parts and destroyed.

Published: 25/07/2026 by Radio NewsHub