Police confiscated my perfectly legal e-bike, how do I get it back?
Last week I was riding my e-bike when I was stopped by Essex police. They stated that they suspected my bike was illegal as I was clearly going faster than 15.5mph. I was, because I was going down a rather large and long hill.
My bike is a 2024 Cube Stereo, a well known legit mountain bike from a reputable manufacturer that complies with UK laws for road legal use. It has no throttle and only provides peddle assisted power, and then only up to a max speed of 15.5mph.
The officers lifted my back wheel and spun the pedals to demonstrate that the bike is clearly capable of doing more than 15.5mph. This is irrelevant - the law is that the bike can only be powered to that speed. Despite my protests, the fact that I had been riding faster than this seemed sufficient evidence for them to seize the bike. Apparently these officers had no understanding of how gravity works.
It’s been over a week and I have not received a seizure notice. The station basically refuse to engage - they tell me they need a seizure notice before they can tell me anything about the case.
I’ve been told anecdotally that there’s little chance of me getting my bike back, and that the officers say in these matters is final.
What are my options, and what is the likelihood that I’m going to receive a fixed penalty notice or points on my licence? Am I able to contest this?