Police launch crackdown on e-scooters in Kettering

Police have launched an operation to tackle the illegal riding of e-scooters and e-bikes in Kettering.

Northamptonshire Police previously seized 23 e-scooters and two e-bikes when it ran Operation Tides in Corby in June, with only brief visits to Kettering and Desborough.

It was part of a crackdown after a five-year-old boy suffered a fractured skull when he was hit by an e-scooter on the pavement in Northampton.

Now the force has launched the operation in Kettering, planning to seize illegal scooters and issue riders with tickets.

It warned that privately owned e-scooters cannot be used legally on roads, pavements or in public spaces, as it is not possible to get insurance for them.

The only scooters allowed to be used on streets are those from an authorised rental company, the force said.

Police said e-bikes were allowed on roads, but riders must be aged 14 or over and the bike must meet limits on motor power and top assisted speed.

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