E-BIKES are continuing to cause trouble for residents in Dawlish with complaints of riders using them dangerously.

Police have said they will be cracking down following reports of intimidation and anti-social behaviour involving the bikes.

In a report to town councillors, officers said they had identified addresses where e-bikes were kept after several reports of them being used in Curlew Way.

A spokesman said: ‘Parents and children riding bikes have been visited and strong words of advice given, bikes photographed and will be seized with Road Traffic Act powers if there are any further reports of anti-social behaviour.’

Dawlish police also said there is ‘continuing intelligence development’ around e-bikes being used in crime.

Now there are reports of both e-bikes and e-scooters ‘zooming’ along various residential streets.

Some riders are wearing dark clothing, with no lights and speeding with fears that an accident is going to happen.

Elm Grove Road has been reported as one location where the riders have been causing problems.

One parent said: ‘I am genuinely concerned as they are zooming up and down, so fast and with the speed cars go along, there is surely going to be an accident soon.’

Others report the bikes going down the middle of the road with no lights and the riders not wearing helmets.

One driver said: ‘He was zooming down the middle of the roads, last time he missed me by an inch, no lights, no helmet.’

Another rider was said to have ridden down Swan Park at a ‘ridiculous’ speed.

Another resident said: ‘We have had a few incidents in Carhaix Way with these.

‘They go so fast and I don’t see many with helmets on either which is concerning at that speed.’

There was a report of a boy being hurt after a collision with an e-scooter with claims that the injuries he sustained were the equivalent of being involved in a ‘high speed car crash’.

Another driver reported one the bikes ‘whizzed’ past, very fast on the corner of Elm Grove Road.

They said: ‘One of them is going to get hurt, and going at that speed, without a helmet on, is very dangerous.’

Devon and Cornwall Police has already seized hundreds of e-bikes and e-scooters which have been illegally modified, ridden without insurance, involved in a serious collision or used in crime.

In August, officers in Plymouth carried out an operation to keep roads safe and address public concerns targeting illegally modified e-bikes and focusing on dangerous bikes and reckless riders.

Electric bikes can be ridden without a license or insurance by anyone aged 14 or over.

It must have pedals used to propel it; have an electric motor that can run at a maximum power of 250 watts and have no electrical assistance once it reaches 15.5 miles per hour.

If an e-bike fails to meet the regulations, it will be treated by police as a motor vehicle which means riders must wear a helmet and have a valid driving licence, insurance and registration.