Across Britain, a quiet contradiction has taken root: police forces, tasked with curbing the rise of e-bike-related crime, have been returning seized vehicles to the open market through public auctions. Last year, at least 161 confiscated e-bikes were sold this way, raising the uncomfortable possibility that the same machines used to terrorise communities may be repurchased — sometimes by the very people from whom they were taken. The death of an 86-year-old grandmother at a zebra crossing, struck by an illegal e-motorbike, gives this institutional ambiguity a human weight that budget justific
Police selling seized e-bikes at auction despite crime concerns
Gloria Stephenson, an 86-year-old grandmother, was killed at a zebra crossing in Sunderland by an illegal e-motorbike.
the transport of choice for drug gangs
Mark
Why would police sell vehicles they seized because they suspected criminal use? That seems backwards.
Mimi
The forces say it's about funding. They're under budget pressure, and selling confiscated goods is a way to put money back into policing. They argue most seized e-bikes are destroyed anyway, so selling a smaller number generates revenue.
Luke
But the data shows the number sold is growing—from 54 in 2024 to 161 last year. That's not a small number anymore. And we don't know the full picture because not every force responded to the BBC's request.
Mark
So criminals could theoretically buy back their own bikes at auction?
Mimi
That's exactly what Clive Grunshaw, the Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner, suspects. He's worried that some offenders are doing exactly that. But there's another layer: he thinks criminals are buying legally compliant bikes from police auctions and then illegally modifying them with kits from Eastern Europe to make them faster and more dangerous.
Luke
That's his suspicion, though. We don't have confirmed cases of that happening. What we do know is that an 86-year-old woman was killed by an illegal e-motorbike in Sunderland, and e-bikes have become linked to gang activity and intimidation.
Mark
Is anyone stopping this?
Mimi
Some forces have. Durham Constabulary and West Mercia Police both announced they've ended the practice and will now destroy all seized e-bikes. But others are still selling them through auction websites.
Luke
The forces that continue say the bikes they're selling are "legally compliant." That's an important qualifier. But it doesn't address Grunshaw's concern about post-purchase modification, which we can't verify either way from the reporting.
El Pulso
- A BBC investigation has exposed a growing and largely unscrutinised practice: six UK police forces sold 161 seized e-bikes at public auction in 2025, up sharply from 54 the year before.
- Crime commissioners warn that criminals whose bikes are confiscated may simply buy them back at a fraction of retail price, then refit them with illegal modification kits that push speeds past 40 mph.
- The death of Gloria Stephenson, killed at a zebra crossing by an illegal e-motorbike, has sharpened public anger and given campaigners a devastating symbol of what is at stake.
- Some forces are changing course — Durham Constabulary and West Mercia Police have both announced they will now crush all seized e-bikes rather than sell them.
- Others continue to auction the vehicles, defending the revenue as money returned to policing budgets, even as the legal and ethical contradictions mount.
Across Britain, a quiet contradiction has taken root: police forces, tasked with curbing the rise of e-bike-related crime, have been returning seized vehicles to the open market through public auctions. Last year, at least 161 confiscated e-bikes were sold this way, raising the uncomfortable possibility that the same machines used to terrorise communities may be repurchased — sometimes by the very people from whom they were taken. The death of an 86-year-old grandmother at a zebra crossing, struck by an illegal e-motorbike, gives this institutional ambiguity a human weight that budget justifications struggle to bear.
Every year, British police seize thousands of electric bikes and scooters. Most are destroyed. But last year, at least 161 were sold to the public through online auction sites — a practice that has begun to unsettle the very forces carrying it out.
A BBC investigation identified six forces, including Police Scotland and West Midlands Police, selling confiscated e-bikes through commercial platforms. Police Scotland alone sold 93 in 2025. The number across all forces is likely higher, as not every service responded to Freedom of Information requests. Forces defend the sales as a way to recoup money for their budgets, with proceeds going back into policing or split with local good causes.
But the revenue sits uneasily alongside mounting evidence of harm. Gloria Stephenson, an 86-year-old grandmother, was struck and killed at a zebra crossing in Sunderland by an illegal e-motorbike. Clive Grunshaw, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire, has called e-bikes the 'transport of choice for drug gangs,' arguing they are nearly impossible to intercept. He suspects criminals whose vehicles are seized simply repurchase them at auction — and that some buy legally compliant bikes only to refit them with illegal modification kits sourced online, enabling speeds far beyond the legal 15.5 mph limit.
Some forces have responded. Durham Constabulary and West Mercia Police have both ended the practice, committing to crush all seized e-bikes going forward. Others have not. One electric dirt bike seized by Falkirk police was listed online with an opening bid of £250 — against a retail price of £3,295.
The legal picture remains murky: riding a privately-owned e-scooter on public land is illegal, but owning one is not. E-bikes occupy a similar grey zone. Grunshaw has called on all forces to stop the auctions, arguing that selling vehicles seized for suspected illegal use sends a deeply confused message about what the law permits — and who it protects.
Every year, British police forces seize thousands of electric bikes and scooters. Most are destroyed. But last year, at least 161 of them were sold to the public through online auctions—a practice that has begun to trouble law enforcement officials and crime commissioners who worry the vehicles could cycle back into criminal hands.
The BBC's investigation found that six police forces, including West Midlands Police and Police Scotland, have been selling confiscated e-bikes through commercial auction websites. Police Scotland alone sold 93 seized e-bikes last year, more than any other force in the country. West Midlands Police sold 12. West Yorkshire Police sold 2. The actual number across all forces may be higher, since not every police service responded to the BBC's Freedom of Information requests. In 2024, the figure was 54 bikes sold; the jump to 161 in 2025 suggests the practice is accelerating.
The vehicles being auctioned include two distinct categories: electrically-assisted pedal cycles that resemble bicycles with motors that engage as riders pedal, and more powerful electric motorbikes that run on motor alone. Police forces defend the sales as a way to recoup money for their budgets. West Midlands Police said the proceeds go "back into policing." West Yorkshire Police stated that funds are split between the force and local good causes. Police Scotland routes money through an accredited recycler before auction. But this revenue stream sits uneasily alongside growing evidence that e-bikes have become tools of crime and anti-social behaviour across the country.
The concern is not abstract. Gloria Stephenson, an 86-year-old grandmother, was struck and killed at a zebra crossing in Sunderland last year by an illegal e-motorbike. Recent BBC reporting has documented cases of balaclava-clad riders terrorizing residents on footpaths and in public spaces. Clive Grunshaw, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire, has called e-bikes the "transport of choice for drug gangs" because they are so difficult for police to intercept. He suspects that some criminals whose vehicles are seized simply repurchase them from auction sites. More troubling still, he worries that offenders are buying legally compliant e-bikes from police auctions and then fitting them with illegal modification kits purchased online—often from Eastern Europe—that allow speeds exceeding 40 miles per hour, far beyond the legal limit of 15.5 miles per hour.
Some forces have begun to reconsider. Durham Constabulary, which sold 29 e-bikes last year, announced it has reviewed its policy and will now crush all seized e-bikes without exception. West Mercia Police, which sold 24 e-bikes and 1 e-scooter last year, said it has also ended the practice. But others continue. The BBC found that police regularly use commercial auction websites like Raw2k to sell the vehicles. One Chinese-manufactured electric dirt bike seized by Falkirk police was listed with an opening bid of £250—a fraction of its £3,295 retail price.
The legal landscape adds to the confusion. It is illegal to ride a privately-owned e-scooter on public property, yet owning one is not illegal. E-bikes occupy a similar gray zone. Grunshaw has urged all police forces to stop selling them, arguing that auctioning vehicles seized for suspected illegal use sends a muddled message about what the law actually permits. The question now is whether other forces will follow Durham and West Mercia in ending the auctions, or whether the practice will continue to expand as a source of police revenue.
Citas Notables
E-bikes have become the transport of choice for drug gangs because they are so difficult to catch— Clive Grunshaw, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire
There's nowhere apart from a back garden that these scooters can be legally used, so it's a confused message— Clive Grunshaw, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire
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