Police Warn Against Gifting Illegal E-Scooters This Christmas

As of November 14th, 2025, Humberside Police have issued a strong warning to the public about the legal risks of buying e-scooters as Christmas gifts. According to the authorities, it is currently illegal to use privately owned e-scooters on public land, although some towns and cities do offer rental schemes for those with valid driving licenses.

Insp. Neil Hutchins from the force's roads policing team emphasized the potential consequences of gifting these devices, stating, "The last thing we want is for people to be spending good, hard-earned money on these devices, only for them to be taken off them at a later stage." This warning comes after a police day of action in Grimsby last September, where over 20 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters were seized.

Insp. Hutchins acknowledged the appeal of e-scooters as Christmas presents, but cautioned that "the realities are there's some legal implications to purchasing one for your loved ones." The use of e-scooters is only permitted on private land with the landowner's permission, and it is not possible to insure privately owned models, making their use on public roads and pavements illegal.

Humberside Police data shows that e-scooters were involved in 80 road traffic collisions between April 2022 and March 2023. Insp. Hutchins warned that these vehicles "don't comply with road traffic safety protocols" and could lead to collisions with both vehicles and pedestrians, further emphasizing the legal risks associated with their use.