Two police forces to end auction sales of seized e-bikes

Electric bikes seized by UK police are being sold to the public through online auctions, a BBC investigation has found. Two forces say they will stop the practice, while others say sales raise money for policing and include legally compliant vehicles. [1]

Six forces disclosed sales of 161 seized e-bikes in 2025 and 54 in 2024. The totals are incomplete because not every force answered the BBC’s Freedom of Information request. The figures also combine pedal-assisted bicycles with electric motorbikes, rather than counting ordinary e-bikes alone. [1]

The BBC reported that thousands of electric bikes are confiscated annually on suspicion of illegal use or involvement in crime, and that most are subsequently destroyed. Seizure does not necessarily mean a vehicle is itself illegal to own or use. [1]

Two forces change their policies

Durham Constabulary and West Mercia Police told the BBC they had reviewed their policies and would no longer sell seized e-bikes or e-scooters. Durham said seized e-bikes would now be crushed without exception.

Durham sold 29 e-bikes and three e-scooters in 2025, while West Mercia sold 24 e-bikes and one e-scooter. [1]

Police Scotland accounted for 93 e-bike sales in 2025, the largest number identified by the investigation. The force said it sends seized e-bikes to an accredited recycler, which may choose to auction them, with the proceeds returning to the force. [1]

The BBC found listings on commercial auction website Raw2k describing vehicles as being sold at police direction. One electric dirt bike listed in Falkirk earlier in September had an opening price of £250, against a listed retail price of £3,295 for a new model. [1]

Concerns over resale

Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw urged forces to stop selling e-bikes. Speaking to the BBC, he described them as the “transport of choice for drug gangs” because they were difficult to catch.

He suspected some criminals tried to buy back seized vehicles at auction and expressed concern that legally compliant bikes could be bought and then illegally modified. [1]

West Midlands Police, which sold 12 e-bikes in 2025, said it destroyed the vast majority of seized bikes. A small number were sold through an independent auction company so the money could be put back into policing. [1]