Man in his 70s hospitalised after being hit by e-bike in Blackpool town centre

Police were called to a report of a road traffic collision on Corporation Street shortly after 5.55pm on Thursday.

Officers attended and found a pedestrian had been struck by an e-bike.

The pedestrian, a man in his 70s, was taken to hospital for treatment. He has since been discharged.

Two boys, aged 16, were arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit through drink/drugs and driving with excess drugs.

“They have been released under investigation,” a spokesman for Lancashire Police said.

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Anyone with information that may help police can call 101, quoting log number 1174 of June 20.

Information can also be reported online at https://doitonline.lancashire.police.uk/.

Police taking tough stand on people using electric bikes dangerously

Lancashire Police said they had been inundated with calls about ongoing problems last week, amidst fears that someone could get hurt because of reckless riding.

The use of the so-called ‘e-bikes’ has been described as one of the biggest current hazards for pedestrians, while motorists have also expressed concerns about hair-raising near misses.

Problems arise when the e-bikers use the vehicles like bicycles, riding on pavements and darting across roads, but the motors allow them to fly around at much greater speeds.

The class 2 e-bikes can reach 20mph with rapid acceleration, but the class 3 bikes can reach 30 mph.

Police say the problem isn’t the bikes, if used sensibly - it is the way some of them are being used recklessly.

Last Monday (June 10) an e-bike rider was arrested after riding around Blackpool town centre dangerously.

“Officers from your local Neighbourhood team, Response Team 4 and Town centre Bid officers, worked their magic and were able to bring this incident to a swift end,” a spokesman for the force said.

“One in the cells and one less e-bike on your streets.”

Electric bike impounded following Easter bank holiday chaos

Dashcam footage showed masked men riding e-bikes and quad bikes dangerously around the resort in April.

The riders rode along the tram tracks before racing along Dickson Road.

Eyewitnesses also reported them “doing wheelies” and “riding very dangerously”.

The video, captured by reporter Lucinda Herbert, also showed the moment one of the e-bikes got impounded following a dramatic police chase

Officers said they had “witnessed young men on these bikes going through red lights, riding on the wrong side of the road and being generally abusive”.

A 23-year-old man from Blackpool was subsequently arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police added: "We will continue to proactively target individuals who put the lives of others at risk by behaving in such a dangerous and reckless way.

2We will review the evidence gathered today and look to make further arrests."