Residents in Reading Central regularly contact me to share their concerns about antisocial behaviour and the antisocial use of e-scooters, illegally modified e-bikes, and other vehicles.
On Wednesday 5 March 2025 I attended a Westminster Hall debate on antisocial behaviour and the illegal use of off-road bikes. I spoke in the debate and I was able to raise two recent examples of the reckless and dangerous driving of high-powered electric bikes in Reading, one of which I witnessed and reported to the police myself. In these incidents, the riders involved posed a real risk to both themselves and to members of the public.
Although e-bikes, also known as ‘electrically assisted pedal cycles’ (EAPCs), can be used safely and legally, some users are modifying their bikes so that they are faster and more powerful, which means they no longer comply with regulations. Private e-scooters remain illegal to use on public roads, cycle lanes and pavements, and rental e-scooters can only be used in national rental e-scooter trial areas.
Electric bikes and scooters that are being misused or illegally modified can cause havoc in our communities, especially when they are ridden at high speeds on pavements and through pedestrianised areas or are used during the commission of other antisocial or criminal acts. The Police are working hard to tackle this issue, but it is clear that more needs to be done to address offenders that are causing a nuisance or are posing a threat to the safety of the public.
I am therefore pleased that the Crime and Policing Bill, which had its Second Reading on Monday 10 March, will give the police new powers to immediately seize vehicles that are causing havoc in our communities, allowing them to deal with the scourge of off-road bikes in public parks and dangerous e-scooters on pavements.
This Bill represents the biggest package of new laws on crime and policing for decades and sits at the heart of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and Plan for Change. It will help tackle the crimes that matter most to communities but have been ignored for too long.
Tackling town centre and neighbourhood crime is a central part of the Bill, which also includes stronger measures on shoplifting, assaults on shop workers, mobile phone theft, and other types of antisocial behaviour. It will strengthen the use of existing antisocial behaviour powers and will give the police and others stronger powers to tackle antisocial behaviour by introducing Respect Orders. Some residents may remember that I asked the Minister for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention to consider choosing Reading as one of the locations at which the use of Respect Orders is piloted when this new measure was first announced, and I would still like to see our area benefit from these new powers as soon as possible.
The Bill will also address the most serious crimes of all, with strong new action to tackle stalking, spiking, violence against women and girls, cybercrime, criminal and sexual exploitation of children, terrorist threats, and – as I highlighted when I spoke during the debate – knife crime.
Measures in the Bill will be backed up by the recruitment of 13,000 extra neighbourhood police officers, with a named officer in every community. The Government has already announced funding of £200 million to kickstart delivery of these roles as part of an overall police funding increase of up to £1.1 billion.
I am aware that antisocial behaviour chips away at our communities’ confidence and pride, undermines local businesses and can have a devastating impact on victims. I support the measures in this Bill and believe that this legislation is a vital step towards creating the safer streets promised in this Government’s Plan for Change.