Leon Jones, 20, has been jailed after killing his best friend, 17-year-old Spencer Crofts, while riding an illegal e-bike on the Wirral Peninsula. Jones pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving following the collision, which took place on Hoole Road in the Woodchurch Estate on 30 November 2024, and police say the case highlights the dangers of illegal and unroadworthy vehicles on the roads.

Jones's e-bike had reached speeds of up to 33mph in a 20mph zone and he had been performing a wheelie shortly before the crash, having also used cannabis beforehand; Spencer's scrambler bike was also being ridden dangerously at the time. Jones was sentenced to five years and four months for causing Spencer's death, plus an additional term for an unrelated arson offence involving a mobility scooter, bringing his total custodial sentence to five years and ten months; he was also disqualified from driving for five years upon release. Spencer's family, who described him as a leukaemia survivor with "the biggest heart", said his sudden death had "destroyed" them, while Merseyside Police said the sentence should serve as a warning amid its ongoing Operation Gears crackdown on illegal bikes.