Police admit mistake over destroying eBike and agree compensation

West Midlands Police have reversed their decision to prosecute a Birmingham cyclist and have agreed to compensate Birmingham Bike Foundry after wrongly seizing and destroying a legal eBike worth £6,500. The force has acknowledged flaws in the testing process used to determine whether the bike complied with Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle (EAPC) regulations and has committed to reviewing its procedures and officer training following work by Cycling UK’s Cyclists’ Defence Fund (CDF).

The case centred on the destruction of a Tern HSD S00 electric bike that was incorrectly identified as an illegal vehicle following a roadside assessment. After raising concerns about the validity of the testing method used, Cycling UK’s Cyclists’ Defence Fund supported the rider and Birmingham Bike Foundry in challenging the decision. The outcome sees the prosecution dropped, compensation agreed and a review of policing practices around eBikes.

Duncan Dollimore, Associate Director said: “If police forces are going to destroy eBikes worth thousands of pounds, they need to be able to carry out a proper test to determine whether they’re legal or not. It is encouraging that West Midlands Police have now engaged and acknowledged that the testing they carried out was flawed and that they will review their approach. Cycling UK’s Cyclists’ Defence Fund exists to help and highlight cases like this, so it’s great to see that not only have the police agreed to review the training of officers, but they will not be prosecuting the rider of the eBike and they will fully compensate the Bike Foundry for the cost of the bike destroyed.

“While there was no suggestion of bad faith, this case demonstrated the importance of better training and greater awareness around eBike regulations. It’s through the generous donations of our supporters that means the Cyclists’ Defence Fund can support cases like this, so huge thanks to all of those who have done so.”