Nuisance Vehicles - General Information

Nuisance Vehicles - General Information

Good morning Resident,

I saw the below message posted on social media from another police force and whilst I won’t take any credit for what was written, I think the message they want to get across is relevant to the entire Isle of Sheppey.

The message relates to a nuisance vehicle that was stopped and the rider dealt with somewhere else in England. Worth a quick read to understand why police officers make certain decisions when dealing with nuisance vehicles. Feel free to share this post on your own social media.

Even though the summer period is over, we are still looking to deal with nuisance vehicles. So please keep reporting any sightings or information about them via 999 (if appropriate), 101 or the livechat option on the Kent Police website.

Kind regards,

PC 15100 Saddington & PC 15048 Marshall

…

Firstly, until we stop someone, we do not know who is riding the bike, their age, or what offences they may be involved in.

When a rider attempts to make off from police, officers may use reasonable and proportionate force to prevent their escape and protect the public. Our priority is, and always will be, public safety.

If you choose to ride what is effectively an illegal motor vehicle on roads, footpaths and pavements, placing yourself and others at risk, then you should expect police intervention.

A few simple lessons can be taken from this:

✅ Don't ride illegal e-bikes and put yourself or others in danger.

✅ If a police officer identifies themselves and tells you to stop, stop. Doing so can prevent the need for force being used.

✅ If you are old enough to ride an e-bike in public, you are old enough to be held accountable for your actions.

✅ If additional offences are discovered during that stop, such as possession of drugs, you can expect to be dealt with for those offences too.

There seems to be a misconception that enforcement against illegal e-bikes is somehow unnecessary because "there are more important crimes to deal with."

The reality is that these bikes are regularly linked to anti-social behaviour, drug activity, dangerous riding, and putting innocent members of the public at risk. We will continue to target those who choose to use them illegally.

For those asking:

❌ No, we are not targeting innocent road users.

❌ No, we do not stop people without reason.

✅ Yes, we will continue to take action against illegal e-bikes.

✅ Yes, we will continue to act where people place themselves and others in danger.

The bottom line is simple: if you don't want police attention, don't engage in criminal or dangerous behaviour.