West Midlands Police say they have seized more than 50 illegally modified e-bikes in Birmingham city centre since launching a crackdown last summer. Officers say bikes found breaking the rules can be taken and crushed, with riders dealt with for traffic offences.
West Midlands Police say they have seized more than 50 illegally modified e-bikes being ridden in Birmingham city centre since launching a crackdown last summer.
Police say officers have been spotting and intercepting bikes, checking whether they have been altered to go faster than the law allows. They say bikes found to be illegal are sent away to be crushed, and riders can be dealt with for traffic offences.
The force says it launched the operation after concerns from pedestrians and businesses, with worries that quieter, faster bikes could lead to serious collisions in busy streets and pedestrian areas.
Police also say the issue has had a particular impact on vulnerable pedestrians and people who are blind or partially sighted, who rely on pavements and pedestrian zones being predictable and safe.
What counts as an “illegal” e-bike?
In the UK, most road-legal e-bikes fall under the rules for an “electrically assisted pedal cycle” (EAPC). In plain terms, that means the bike must be pedal-propelled, and the motor must stay within strict limits.
If an e-bike is modified so it no longer meets those requirements, it can effectively become a motor vehicle in the eyes of the law. That can bring different rules around licensing, insurance and road legality, depending on what it has become.
West Midlands Police say their city centre operation is aimed at e-bikes that have been illegally modified to increase speed, which they describe as posing a risk to other road users and people walking through the city.
What happens next
Police say the operation will continue through 2026, with officers maintaining enforcement in the city centre.
For residents, commuters and visitors, the practical point is simple: if you are using an e-bike in the city centre, it needs to be genuinely road-legal. If it is not, police say you risk losing it.
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