Sussex Police released footage of two men on an e-scooter after a 74-year-old pedestrian was hurt in Chapel Road. Illegal riding reports are up 53.7%.
Sussex Police have released footage of two men on an e-scooter, more than two months after a pedestrian was injured in Worthing town centre.
The collision happened at about 10pm on 15 July in Chapel Road. The pedestrian, a 74-year-old woman, sustained injuries. The force describes it as a serious collision.
The rider did not remain at the scene. He travelled in the direction of the seafront.
Officers are renewing their appeal to identify both the rider and the pillion passenger, and have released the footage in the hope someone recognises them.
What the force has published
Sussex Police describe both men as being in their 20s, and give this detail:
- the rider wore a black T-shirt with white writing, dark trousers and shoes
- the pillion passenger wore a black hooded top, trousers, and flip flops or sandals
Anyone with information, including CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage, is asked to contact Sussex Police online or call 101 quoting serial 1986 of 15/07.
No one has been charged. The descriptions above are the force’s own wording, and nothing further about either man has been published.
Any e-scooter in Chapel Road is illegal
There is no rental e-scooter scheme anywhere in West Sussex, so the legal position in Worthing is simple.
Government guidance, updated on 7 July 2026, states: “It is against the law to use a privately owned electric scooter on public land.” Riders face a fine, penalty points and having the scooter impounded.
The nearest legal scheme is in Brighton and Hove, roughly 11 miles east along the coast, which joined the government trial in July 2026. Even there the rules would rule out what the footage shows: rental e-scooters “must only be used by one person at a time”, and they must not be ridden on the pavement. The trials are due to end on 31 May 2028.
The numbers behind the appeal
The appeal comes as the force runs Operation Scramble, a dedicated operation against illegal e-bike and e-scooter use, staffed by Neighbourhood Policing Teams alongside the Roads Policing Unit and Fatal Five Unit.
In the 12 months to June 2026, Sussex Police received 2,504 reports of e-bikes and e-scooters being ridden illegally. That is up 53.7% on the 1,629 reports in the previous 12 months. Of those reports, 25.6% concerned antisocial or dangerous riding and 51.8% concerned suspected drug activity.
Seizures have climbed through this year. The force seized 26 machines in January and 73 in both June and July, 321 in the first seven months of 2026.
On injuries the force’s own figures are mixed. Five people were seriously injured in collisions involving an e-scooter in 2026, against 11 in 2025. Three were seriously injured in collisions involving an e-bike in 2026, against none in 2025.
Where riders were identified, just over half, 52.9%, were aged 25 or under. Just over a third, 35.5%, were teenagers or children.
Superintendent Jo Grantham, head of roads policing for Surrey Police and Sussex Police, said the vast majority of reports relate to criminal activity. “However, irrespective of the circumstances, the bottom line is e-scooters are illegal to use in public, unless through an authorised rental scheme,” she said.
Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said residents “are fed up with the dangerous and antisocial use of e-bikes and e-scooters”, and that she had been clear with the force that “enough is enough”.
What it means for you
If you were in Chapel Road late on 15 July, or you have a camera that covers it, the force wants to hear from you. Chapel Road runs north from the seafront past the Town Hall, and it is covered by a good deal of private CCTV and doorbell footage.
- Report online at sussex.police.uk or call 101.
- Quote serial 1986 of 15/07.
- Dashcam and doorbell footage is specifically requested.
If you own an e-scooter, the penalties the force lists are worth knowing before you ride it anywhere public:
- £300 fine and six penalty points for having no insurance
- £100 fine and three to six penalty points for riding without the correct licence
- a fixed penalty notice and possible £50 fine for riding on the pavement
- £200 and six penalty points for using a handheld phone while riding
- a fixed penalty notice and £100 fine for riding through a red light
- drink driving penalties are the same as for a car, including a possible ban and imprisonment
A machine ridden antisocially can also be seized under section 59 of the Police Reform Act.
For live travel and closures in the town, see our Worthing roadworks and travel page.
Sources: Video: Renewed appeal after E-scooter collision with pedestrian in Worthing, Sussex Police; New operation launched to disrupt illegal e-bike and e-scooter use, Sussex Police, carrying figures to July 2026; E-scooter trials: guidance for users, Department for Transport, updated 7 July 2026.
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