ONE person died and scores of others were injured as a result of e-scooter related incidents in Essex last year, statistics show.

A Freedom of Information request submitted to Essex Police revealed a total of 80 people – including e-scooter riders, pedestrians and non-pedestrians – were injured in the county between January and September last year.

One fatal casualty and one very serious injury were recorded within the nine-month period.

Throughout 2020, 80 incidents were recorded in the county and in 2019 a total of 75 incidents were recorded.

According to information from the Department for Transport, a total of 223 people travelling by foot were injured by e-scooter riders last year in Britain, with only 57 pedestrians injured in 2020.

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The gradual rise in e-scooter related incidents year-on-year has been a source of concern for residents in Colchester with some complaining that the contraptions have been left abandoned on pavements.

Problems have also been caused by the use of privately owned e-scooters on UK roads, which is illegal under UK law.

Currently, only e-scooters rented as part of Government-backed trials can be used on public highways.

The number of privately owned e-scooters on public roads has also increased in recent years.

Although 38 e-scooters were seized by Essex Police in 2020, the total seized last year was more than eight times that number, with 317 of the devices taken off the roads by the authorities.

Legislation on e-scooters as a form of transport had been expected to appear in the Queen’s speech last month but with no mention of it made in the ceremony, it is not yet known whether privately owned e-scooters will become a legal form of transport.

Commenting on e-scooters, Roger Hirst, the Essex Police fire and crime commissioner, said a formal decision had not yet been made on whether use of e-scooters will move beyond Government-backed trials.

He said: “Safety is a real concern and should be considered above purely the environmental benefits but we need to wait for the formal evaluation of the trials to see if there is a safe way they can be used.”