More illegal e-bikes and scooters seized and destroyed in police and council crackdown during ASB awareness week

Following a joint operation in Cardiff and surrounding areas during Anti-Social Behaviour awareness week, more illegal e-bikes and scooters have been taken off the roads. 

The operation on Friday July 3, which saw South Wales Police, Cardiff Council staff, and National Police Air Service (NPAS) fixed-wing crew all working in collaboration, resulted in 68 illegal mechanically propelled vehicles (MPVs) seized and destroyed.

Friday’s seizures included several from along the Taff Trail, with a total of 17 illegal e-bikes spotted and seized from Cardiff’s green spaces and trails. One e-bike was also seized from a rider on Castle Street that had capacity of reaching 86km/h.

This now takes the total illegal MPVs seized to 800 since August 2025.

Inspector Tim Ursell, from South Wales Police, said: 

“This activity, as part of Op Livewire, follow reports from our local communities who have voiced concerns around anti-social behaviour on MPVs and linked issues.

“We continue to run these resource-heavy operations to tackle use of illegal e-bikes and scooters in our communities.

“This operation included teams in both plain clothes and uniform patrolling hotspot report areas, including the Taff Trail, Gabalfa, Cathays, Cardiff city centre, Canton, and Grangetown.”

Cllr Ed Stubbs, Cabinet Member for Frontline Services at Cardiff Council, said: “Illegal electric bikes and e-scooters cause significant problems in local communities across Cardiff, including in the city centre and parks across the city. The public has made it clear to us that they do not feel safe when illegal e-bikes are being ridden at excessive speeds in their communities, so we have acted and will continue to do so,

“The riders of these bikes often do not have a licence and are not insured to use them, creating a danger for other road users. By working with South Wales Police, we can target areas of the city where they are being used illegally and confiscate the bikes so they can no longer be used for anti-social behaviour.

“Since we started these operations in August 2025, we have removed 800 illegally modified e bikes, E scooters and Off-road Bikes from the streets and green spaces in Cardiff.”

As well as the seizures, some riders were arrested, these included:

• A man in his 20s from Cardiff detailed on a Sur-Ron at Lydstep Park, Gabalfa. Following a stop and search he was found in possession of two mobile phones and 33 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin worth around £1000. He appeared in court on Saturday and has been convicted of two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A, and one count of possession of a controlled drug Class B. He will be sentenced next month.
• An 18-year-old man who was spotted in Ely by NPAS appearing to be riding an illegal e-bike. Officers on the ground detained the man and the e-bike which was confirmed to be illegal was seized. Following further investigation, the 18-year-old was further arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class B, and driving a motor vehicle without a drivers license or insurance. He has been released on bail pending further enquiries.
• A 16-year-old boy who was spotted in Ely by NPAS riding an electric motorcycle and suspected of distributing drugs. Local neighbourhood officers intervened and the 16-year-old, along with another 16-year-old boy, were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class B drugs. One of the teenagers was further arrested on three counts of assaulting emergency workers. Around 35g of cannabis was also recovered.
• A 21-year-old man from Splott, was stopped in Cathays after an officer spotted him meeting with a man on a Sur-Ron, before they entered an alleyway. The man was detained and stop, searched, before being arrested on suspicion of possession of class B.