By Isle of Wight Observer
Police on the Isle of Wight successfully removed two high-performance Surron electric motorbikes from the streets, following a pursuit in Sandown.
The operation, which utilised advanced police drone technology, targeted two riders who had been causing a significant public nuisance.
The incident culminated near the Sandown sea-front, when the riders, wearing balaclavas to conceal their identities, attempted to evade a pursuing police car. During the escape, one of the suspects reportedly narrowly avoided a collision with pedestrians. One local resident expressed his gratitude to the authorities, noting that both he and his 89-year-old father were nearly struck as the bikes sped along the promenade.
Surron electric bikes have become a primary focus for law enforcement. While marketed as legitimate off-road vehicles for enthusiasts, their silent motors and rapid acceleration have made them a popular tool for street-level drug dealers, phone snatchers, and organised criminal networks.
“We were in the right place at the right time – though not for them,” a police spokesman said on social media. “With the assistance of the police drone, both bikes were located and seized.”
The two vehicles are currently in the custody of the police.
A police spokesman has confirmed that one rider, a 16-year-old boy from Ryde, was arrested on suspicion of using a motor vehicle on a road without a valid test certificate, driving a motor vehicle without a license, using a motor vehicle without insurance, possession of a control Class B drug, and driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit. He has been released under investigation whilst enquiries continue.
Mal Butler