Dorset Police reports highest ever level of e-bike seizures

With more than 200 e-bikes and e-scooters seized as part of Dorset Police’s approach to tackling anti-social behaviour, the force has broken its own record and is sharing its work to reduce the impact illegal bike and scooter users have on public safety.

During 2025, the force seized 99 illegal e-bikes – including scramblers and Sur-rons – and 128 illegal e-scooters. To assist with its efforts, Dorset Police has since March 2025 been involved in a trial of SmartTag forensic spray. The spray provides a unique forensic code, which can be sprayed on a rider to improve evidential opportunities to prosecute individuals.

The force is also sharing the initiative and learning with seven other forces as well as Bournemouth University as part of an evidence-led study, with offence data also being shared with local partners so officers can continue to build an intelligence picture of what is happening in communities across the county to respond effectively.

Inspector Nick Lee of the Poole Neighbourhood Policing Team led the roll out of the forensic spray initiative. He features in a TikTok post explaining how the spray works and the force says that it has reached around 10 million people since June 2025, with 40 per cent of the audience under the age of 24.

@dorsetpolice You asked, we did 💪🏽🚨 Learn how we’re using new innovative technology to tackle the anti-social use of illegally adapted e-bikes, e-scooters and other motorised vehicles in public spaces, in the first of our three part series! We teamed up with our Poole Neighbourhood Team following concerns from members of the public to explain how the technology works and why it is needed. Keep an eye out on our feed for the rest of the series 👮🏻‍♂️ #dorset #police #dorsetpolice #bikes #scooters #fyp ♬ Passion – Milky Chance

This is part of the force’s prevention approach warning that if riders are caught riding one of these vehicles illegally, it will be seized, crushed and recycled.

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