Dramatic videos show Met Police e-bike chases as force expands fleet in crackdown on phone theft

Dramatic footage released by the Met Police shows the force cracking down on illegal e-bike offenders .

It comes as the unit expands its e-bike fleet from five to 25 as part of a crackdown on phone snatching theft and other street crimes .

The lightweight Sur-Ron bikes allow officers to keep up with criminals, navigating narrow streets and staircases to catch criminals in places that would be inaccessible by car.

In one incident, bodyworn video footage captured on August 21, shows an officer on a Sur-Ron e-bike chasing a moped rider through traffic and into a housing estate.

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The moped rider was evading police at a vehicle stop site when he was pursued by the e-bike officer.

Footage shows the officer weaving through traffic and speeding through residential streets.

The officer chased the suspect using a Sur-Ron e-bike Met Police The suspect took off on foot after falling off the moped Met Police The suspect then falls off the moped and flees on foot. But the officer is relentless in chasing the suspect, eventually stopping him as he attempts to jump over a railing.

Upon being arrested, the suspect was found in possession of a significant quantity of Class A drugs and turned out to be a disqualified driver riding a moped with false plates.

The force said its deployment of the Sur-Ron e-bikes has helped to reduce phone theft by more than 13,000 offences across London in the last year.

The bikes have a top speed of 59mph and can accelerate from zero to 50mph in just 3.7 seconds.

The rollout is part of the Met’s efforts to reduce the number of criminals using e-bikes and causing fear on the streets. More than 2,500 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters have been seized so far.

These bikes are often modified with high-powered batteries or are uninsured.