A SENIOR police officer in Newport has vowed to clamp down on the dangerous riding of electric bikes and other crime linked to their use.

Chief inspector John Davies told the city council the force was "very close to having signed off tactics to deal with" the problem.

His comments followed complaints from councillors about road safety and anti-social behaviour by some e-bike riders.

Electric bikes have also been linked to crimes such as drug-dealing in the city in recent years.

Councillor Allan Morris, from Lliswerry, asked "how is it possible" young people could ride them at such speeds without any "knowledge of the road [or] the highway code" and without safety equipment.

"People have had near misses and I think we are not far off a fatality," he added.

Unlike electric scooters, which are currently illegal to ride in public places in most of the UK, electric bikes are legal and can be ridden on the road by anyone aged 14 or over, as long as the bikes have pedals and meet certain requirements.

One of those regulations is that the motor should not be able to power the bike at speeds of 1.15mph or more.

But Cllr Morris said "kids" on the bikes were "in many cases going more than 20mph" around the streets.

Ch Insp Davies said Gwent Police would "soon be in a position to seize" electric bikes if their riders were using them anti-socially, but explained there were "inherent difficulties" in punishing the culprits because they were often youths.

Part of the force's new tactics will instead focus on targeting the businesses selling and importing versions of electric bikes that do not meet regulations, he added.

He told councillors the matter was "something we are fully aware of and we are dealing with, and shortly we should be in a position to see some results".

Electric bikes have also been linked to crimes such as drug-dealing in the city in recent years.

In September, a 27-year-old was spotted by officers riding a “high-powered” electric bike in the city over the summer.

He was searched and police found cannabis and wraps of cocaine with a combined potential street value of £1,290.

The man is now serving a prison sentence of three years and six months.

In another incident, a then-21-year-old crashed into a barrier while trying to flee police on an electric bike "capable of speeds of up to 50mph".

Officers found eight wraps of heroin and 10 wraps of crack cocaine in the defendant’s jacket.

He was jailed in December 2020 for three years.