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14 Jan 2026
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14 Jan 2026
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Sergeant McCollum detailed safety risks and appealed to the community to report illegal e-scooter use.
Following recent reports of safety concerns regarding the use of e-scooters in the Ballyarnett area and surrounding area in Derry, local officers have seized a number of machines as part of a targeted enforcement operation.
Officers from Ballyarnett Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) seized two e-scooters this week – one on Monday, January 12, and one last night, Tuesday, January 13. Two male youths are to be reported to the Public Prosecution Service in connection to each incident for traffic-related offences.
Ballyarnett NPT Sergeant McCollum said: "We have heard directly from people living in the area who have serious concerns of what could happen. They have described seeing these machines being ridden at considerable speed in the middle of main roads and on footpaths close to pedestrians, with no lights or helmets being worn.
"E-scooters, scramblers, go-peds, buzz boards, quads and mini-motos do not generally comply with construction and use legislation and vehicle standards so are therefore, restricted to off- road use only.
“If used on the road the rider would require the following, among the requirements is having a driving licence from age 16 (minimum Category AM). Reports we have received recently is that young children are riding these e-scooters.
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“They are not toys and when driven in the way reported, their use in public spaces poses a risk to the safety of both riders and the public, and someone could be seriously hurt as a result of their inappropriate use.
"We are working to address concerns around their use and would appeal to those who own one, to put safety first. Our appeal is about keeping people safe and keeping communities safe spaces for all by thinking carefully about where you use your e-scooter, and the potential safety issues you could be causing within your own community.
“As we continue to do all we can to detect offenders, we’d also ask that the community continues to report the illegal and dangerous driving of e-scooters so we can help to make our roads safer for everyone. Call us on 101 or report online at www.psni.police.uk/report”
You can also contact the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org/.
Information on the law around e-scooters can be found at https://www.psni.police.uk/safety-and-support/roads-and-driving/e-scooter-scrambler-and-quad-safety
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