A £1,000 e-scooter capable of reaching speeds of up to 43mph has been seized after a 16-year-old was stopped by police in a Bracknell park.
Thames Valley Police officers were on foot patrol at South Hill Park on Friday, 7 August, speaking to people using the park and those fishing.
PC Murphy and PC Crossman were then alerted to a group allegedly causing a nuisance through loud swearing and excessive noise.
Officers’ attention was also drawn to a member of the group riding an e-scooter at high speed along a footpath.
The 16-year-old rider was stopped and the e-scooter was seized.
Police said the rider told officers the machine could reach about 70km/h (43mph) and had cost approximately £1,000.
Officers said they were “particularly concerned” after being told the rider’s parents knew he was using the scooter and had warned him that police had recently been carrying out speed enforcement in the area.
Thames Valley Police reminded residents that privately owned e-scooters can only legally be ridden on private land with the landowner’s permission.
They cannot legally be ridden on public roads, pavements or footpaths, parks, cycle paths or other public places.
Police said that e-scooters ridden illegally in public places can be seized and riders may be reported for relevant road traffic offences.
The force also said seized e-scooters are not returned to their owners and are instead sent to a scrapyard.
Government-backed rental e-scooter trials operate in some towns and cities under different rules, with requirements including a driving licence and motor insurance provided by the rental company.
Thames Valley Police said it would continue to seize privately owned e-scooters being ridden illegally in public places.
The force warned that some privately owned machines can reach speeds far beyond what would normally be expected when being ridden around pedestrians, parks and residential areas.
