Lime used data from one of its hired e-bikes to help City of London Police identify a cyclist accused of riding illegally on Fleet Street and making an offensive gesture towards a pedestrian. The rider was fined for careless cycling at a police station and banned from using Lime’s e-bikes and e-scooters, in what was described as a legal first.

The pedestrian provided the incident’s precise time and location, enabling Lime to identify which bike was being used. Police said the case showed how CCTV and information from private companies could help address lower-level offences, while Lime said it disclosed data in accordance with privacy and legal requirements. The incident comes amid wider concerns about pavement riding and parking, with Lime bikes banned in Hounslow and Richmond-upon-Thames and more than 100 e-bikes seized in the City of London during one month last year.