THE START of a new college year means a new wave of teenagers on their mobility solutions – scooter or bike-style mopeds.

And Hampshire police are urging parents to ensure that the young riders are fully street legal.

In an Eastleigh crackdown yesterday 20 youngsters were pulled over and half the machines immediately prohibited from the road because of their dangerous condition.

Officers from the Roads Policing Unit, Safer Roads Partnership, VOSA, specialist Neighbourhood officers and Community Accredited Support Officers conducted a joint operation at Fleming Park, in the continued drive against derestricted and unroadworthy mopeds used in an antisocial manner. Hopefully manpower cuts in the Safer Roads Partnership won’t affect this vital initiative, the importance of which was illustrated by the dangerous state of the two-wheelers stopped.

Led by PC Dan Golding from the Roads Policing Unit at Totton Police Station, the team checked a total of 20 mopeds at the checkpoint of which seven were seized for being overpowered.

This incurred a £150 recovery fee plus storage costs.

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One moped was recorded on a portable ‘rolling road’ at a staggering 58mph – against the 30mph maximum for the moped classification for construction, licence and insurance.

Three of these riders were prosecuted for driving licence offences and received three penalty points and a £60 fine. One of the three prosecuted riders had aleady been checked on the same moped at a previous operation at Bitterne Police Station back in February.

Of the 20 mopeds checked tenwere found to have serious defects and received immediate prohibitions, one a delayed prohibition.

There were several serious defects with brake pads worn to excess – as pictured – brakes not operating and bearings worn in the steering head likely to affect the stability of the machine. One moped had bent forks, probably from a previous collision, rendering it unstable.

PC Mick Gear of Bikesafe said: “The safety implications of these defects are obvious.

“We know the lads need to get around but they need to obey the rules and while points on their licences now are going to cost them for years, there’s no telling how serious the consequences could be of using a machine that is illegally too powerful or dangerously defective.”