Illegal e-bikes capable of reaching speeds of up to 50mph have become an increasingly visible and dangerous presence on Britain’s roads. Weaving through pedestrians, running red lights, and far exceeding the legal speed limit, these vehicles are presenting a growing challenge for police, fire services, and legislators alike.
An e-bike, or electrically assisted pedal cycle, is a bicycle fitted with an electric motor and rechargeable battery that provides additional power whilst the rider is pedalling. Legally, anyone aged 14 or over may ride one on public roads and cycle paths in the UK without a licence, provided the bike meets strict criteria: the motor must produce no more than 250 watts and must not propel the bike beyond 15.5mph. The bike must also have working pedals.
Where a bike exceeds these limits or lacks pedals, it is classified in law as a motorcycle or moped. That means it must be registered, taxed and insured, and the rider must hold a valid driving licence. Those caught riding such a vehicle illegally on a public road face the same penalties as any unlicensed motor vehicle driver. Importantly, higher powered bikes can be used lawfully on private land, such as by farmers working across large areas of land.
The Scale of the Problem
The Metropolitan Police reports that it has seized more than 2,900 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters since January 2026. In a single operation at Cambridge Circus in the West End, officers seized 38 e-bikes in just five hours.
Superintendent Luke Baldock, the Met’s lead officer for tackling e-bike crime, confirmed the force was “ramping up action to tackle the dangerous riding of illegally modified e-bikes, increasing the roll-out of specialist operations across London.” Officers say they are encountering a rise in “illegally modified e-bikes with improvised batteries and motors far exceeding the legal 250W limit.”
The picture beyond policing is equally concerning. Data compiled by Sky News shows that crimes involving e-bikes and e-scooters increased by more than 730 per cent over the five years to 2025, with these vehicles appearing in cases involving theft, robbery, drug trafficking and stalking.
The London Fire Brigade has also raised the alarm, describing e-bike batteries as one of the capital’s fastest growing fire risks. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Field stated: “From our investigations, we know many of the fires we’ve attended have involved second-hand vehicles or the bike has been modified using parts bought online.” The Brigade attended a record 205 e-bike and e-scooter fires in 2025, rising from 171 in 2024, with at least 30 call-outs already recorded in 2026.
Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at Cycling UK, told The i Paper: “It’s stopped being a cycling and e-bike problem. It’s become a very complex product safety problem and also an employment law problem.”
At the heart of the problem lies an exploitable gap in online retail regulation. E-bikes and conversion kits capable of speeds far beyond the legal limit are freely available to purchase online, often without any legal warning. This is technically lawful because higher powered e-bikes are permitted on private land and off-road sites.
A conversion kit labelled “for off-road use only” may not constitute an illegal listing, even if the product is plainly capable of being used on public roads. Sellers are not legally responsible for how buyers choose to use the product once purchased.
Dollimore stated that this loophole was being openly exploited: “We’ve got multiple platforms advertising bikes, saying things like ‘fix the commute’ and then saying it’s for off-road use, which is misleading, and it’s verging on mis-selling.”
Both Amazon and Temu issued statements indicating they monitor their platforms for non-compliant products, but campaigners argue that self-regulation is insufficient.
The Employment Dimension
Labour MP Fabian Hamilton, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cycling and Walking, has drawn attention to another driver of illegal e-bike use: the pay structures used by major food delivery platforms. “If you pay the riders by the delivery rather than by the hour, then you’re challenging people to cut corners,” he told The i Paper. The APPG found evidence that many food delivery riders felt pressured to use faster, illegally modified bikes simply to meet delivery expectations.
Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat all stated that their terms require riders to comply with the law, with Deliveroo adding that it had partnerships in place to give riders more affordable access to compliant vehicles. However, Hamilton is calling for structural reform, arguing that employment law must be changed to require delivery companies to engage riders on terms equivalent to those of other workers.
Labour had previously committed to replacing the distinction between “employees” and “workers” with a single worker status, which would extend full employment rights and make it easier to impose safety obligations across the gig economy. That proposal was not, however, included in the Employment Rights Act 2025. The Government has indicated it will consult on the matter as soon as possible.
What the Government Is Doing
Last year, Parliament passed the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, granting the Government new powers to update product safety laws and potentially make online marketplaces such as Amazon and Temu legally liable for illegal products sold through their platforms. Currently, liability rests with the individual third-party sellers, not the platforms themselves.
A Government consultation is now under way, though critics note that it does not address the off-road loophole that allows retailers to sell products capable of exceeding legal road limits. A Government spokesperson stated that the work includes “proposals to introduce stringent responsibilities for online marketplaces to take proactive measures to ensure the products on their sites are safe.”
Hamilton has also called for a scrappage scheme to remove illegal bikes from circulation and a kitemark system to allow police and businesses to identify compliant vehicles at a glance.
Separately, the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill, currently at report stage in the House of Lords, proposes a new criminal offence of causing death or serious injury by dangerous or careless cycling, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The Position for Riders
The message for anyone using or considering an e-bike is clear. If your bike exceeds the 250 watt or 15.5mph threshold, or lacks working pedals, it is not a bicycle in the eyes of the law. Riding it on a public road without registration, insurance and a licence is a criminal offence, regardless of where the bike was purchased or what the product listing may have stated.
About Freeman & Co.
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