A teenager has been arrested following proactive work in Swindon to combat drug dealing in the area of Cambria Bridge.
Officers from the South Central Neighbourhood team targeted the area to address the concerns from the local community.
An 18-year-old man who was seen acting suspiciously on an electric scooter in the area was arrested on Thursday 27th January on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs and possession of a bladed article. He has since been released under investigation for the offence of possession of a bladed article, while he has been referred to an online course for the possession of Class A drugs.
He was also issued with a Traffic Offence Report for riding the e-scooter, which are illegal in a public place without the correct insurance or licence to ride it.
PC Sam Whettam, of the South Central Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Firstly, we would like to thank the members of the public for reporting this activity to us allowing us to target our patrols effectively in the area.
“We hear a lot from our communities about their concerns around drug dealing they witness and the detrimental impact it has.
“There is help available through partner agencies that can support you if you are struggling or want to find help for a family member or friend.
“We want to encourage people to not ride e-scooters or modified/adapted electric pushbikes, which are being ridden dangerously and cannot be used legally in the UK unless they are part of a public trial or follow strict criteria.
“We will be taking action against those that do not follow the law and prosecuting people responsible.”
While e-scooters are legally available to purchase, it’s currently against the law to ride a privately owned e-scooter in any public place in the UK. This includes roads, pavements, parks, town centres or promenades.
The only place a privately owned e-scooter can be used is on private land. This is because e-scooters are classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) so they are treated as motor vehicles.
As such, if they are used on a road, pavement or public place they are subject to the same legal requirements as any motor vehicle.
For more information on e-scooter legislation, visit here.
