Police stop e-scooter riders in crackdown on illegal use
There has been a surge in the use of private e-scooters, which are illegal in the UK except when used on private land.
Police have stopped 18 people riding privately owned e-scooters in Bournemouth.
They were issued with first warnings during the day of action last week.
The riders now risk being reported for traffic offences and having their e-scooters seized if they are caught riding illegally again.
The only place to legally ride a privately owned e-scooter is on private land with the owner's permission.
Sergeant Rhys Griffiths from Dorset Police said: "E-scooters have become a real issue for some local residents and complaints about improper use have increased among our communities.
"We are also seeing more people riding them as a result of the government trials taking place.
"However, it still remains illegal to ride a privately owned e-scooter on any public land including pavements, roads and promenades.
"Unless you’ve hired the e-scooter through a government approved trial scheme you are not allowed to ride it on public land."
The government has announced locations throughout the UK, including Bournemouth and Poole, where e-scooter rental scheme trials are taking place.
This allows individuals to hire an e-scooter from an official scheme and ride legally.
Privately owned e-scooters are not part of the trials.