Sussex Police launched a new operation against the illegal use of e-bikes and e-scooters on 16 September 2026, after reports from the public rose by more than half in a year.
Operation Scramble brings neighbourhood policing teams together with the roads policing and Fatal Five units across the county. The force says it will use education, engagement and enforcement. Here are the figures it released, and what they mean for riders. More crime and road safety news is on ImJustBrighton.
Source: figures released by Sussex Police, as reported by Sussex News and the Sussex Express. Photo: Sussex Police.
What Operation Scramble is
Sussex Police says neighbourhood policing teams will work with the roads policing and Fatal Five units to provide education, engagement and enforcement across Sussex. The force says its teams will respond to illegal e-vehicle use 365 days a year.
Neighbourhood teams will also work with schools, colleges, parents and carers to explain the risks of riding e-bikes and e-scooters to young people.
Reports up more than half
Sussex Police received 2,504 reports of e-bikes and e-scooters being ridden illegally in the 12 months to June 2026. That is 53.7% more than the 1,629 reports in the previous 12 months.
Of those reports, 25.6% related to antisocial or dangerous riding and 51.8% involved suspected drug activity. The force says these reports are in addition to incidents officers attend while on patrol.
321 vehicles seized
Between January and July 2026, Sussex Police recorded 321 seizures. The monthly total rose from 26 in January to 73 in June, and stayed at 73 in July.
The force says vehicles used antisocially can be seized under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act.
Serious injuries
Five people were seriously injured in collisions involving e-scooters in 2026, compared with 11 in 2025. Three people were seriously injured in collisions involving e-bikes in 2026, compared with none in 2025.
Who is riding
Where riders could be identified, just over half were 25 or younger. More than a third were teenagers or children.
“Dangerous, careless or antisocial driving or riding is one of the five most common causes of fatal and serious injury collisions on our roads, and the stark reality is these casualties are preventable.”
Superintendent Jo Grantham, head of roads policing for Surrey Police and Sussex Police
What riders can be fined
Sussex Police says anyone caught riding illegally could face these penalties.
The force says the vehicles remain illegal to use in public unless through an authorised rental scheme, and that they pose a significant risk to all road users.
Already happening in Sussex
The Sussex Express reported on 17 September that Adur and Worthing Police had seized two e-scooters in Shoreham, in the Buckingham Park and Middle Road areas, and a Sur-Ron electric bike being used unlawfully, during patrols with the Specialist Enforcement Unit. The newspaper also published footage from Crawley town centre showing officers seizing a delivery rider’s bike. The rider was told the modified bike did not conform to regulations.
What this means in Brighton and Hove
The police figures cover the whole of Sussex. In Brighton and Hove, the regulated Beryl e-scooter hire trial, which launched on 24 July 2026, is the way to ride an e-scooter legally. Privately owned e-scooters remain illegal on public roads, as the force describes it.
“I would encourage anyone witnessing illegal or dangerous riding to continue reporting it to Sussex Police. Public information and intelligence is vital in helping officers identify offenders so they can then take action.”
Katy Bourne, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner
Sussex Police explains the rules for e-bikes and e-scooters on its road safety advice page.
Sussex News: Sussex Police launch crackdown on illegal e-bikes and e-scooterssussex.news Sussex Express: More electric vehicles seized in Sussex Police crackdownsussexexpress.co.ukSources
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