Body-worn video shows new fleet of ‘game-changing’ Met Police e-bikes mounting pavements and driving down narrow lanes in pursuit of suspects
The Metropolitan Police has expanded its fleet of Sur-Ron electric bikes from five to 25, saying they will help officers pursue suspects involved in knife crime, phone theft and robbery. The force says the bikes can travel through congested streets, narrow lanes, housing estates and other areas inaccessible to conventional police vehicles, potentially improving response times and arrests.
Body-worn footage released by the Met shows officers using the bikes during recent pursuits in several inner-London boroughs. In one case, police detained a person suspected of riding an illegal, uninsured e-bike; in another, a suspect who fled through traffic and an estate was later arrested and allegedly found with a significant quantity of Class A drugs. The Met said neighbourhood crime had fallen 14% year-on-year, while ministers and the Mayor of London backed the expanded fleet.
- Met expands e-bike fleet from five to 25 vehicles.
- Bikes are intended to improve pursuits in inaccessible areas.
- Police cite a 14% fall in neighbourhood crime.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters argue that the e-bikes give officers a proportionate, practical way to pursue robbery, knife-crime and drug suspects in dense parts of London where cars cannot safely or quickly operate. Their ability to use narrow routes and, where lawful and necessary, access pavements or estates could reduce response times, improve the chance of arrest and deter offenders who rely on similar vehicles to evade police. They also see the reported fall in neighbourhood crime and successful recent arrests as grounds to expand a targeted policing tool.
The case against
Critics may argue that police riding at speed on pavements and through confined residential areas creates a meaningful risk to pedestrians, particularly children, older people and disabled people, even when officers are pursuing serious suspects. They may question whether dramatic pursuit footage and early enforcement results establish that the benefits outweigh collision risks, public anxiety and the possibility of disproportionate use in heavily policed communities. A thoughtful case for caution would seek clear pursuit thresholds, robust training, independent scrutiny and transparent data on injuries, complaints and outcomes before treating the fleet as game-changing.