Northampton e-scooter rider caught in Christmas drink-drive crackdown

An e-scooter rider snared by Northamptonshire’s Christmas drink-driving crackdown on drink-driving has landed a £1,000 court bill..

Northampton magistrates heard 30-year-old Nicholas John Belshaw was stopped piloting a Voi rented scooter in Wellingborough Road on December 6 — five days after the annual campaign against drink-driving was launched.

Tests later revealed he had 67 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, The legal limit is 35mg.

Belshaw, of Weston Way in the town, pleaded guilty at a hearing on August 25 and was fined £703, disqualified from driving for a year and ordered to pay a £70 surcharge to fund victim services.

He was also hit with a £300 bill for Crown Prosecution Services costs after pleading not guilty at a previous hearing.

Rented e-scooters are legal on the county's roads under schemes launched during the last 12 months. But anyone using them needs at least a provisional driving licence and is subject to the same rules as other road users — including drink-driving.

A Northamptonshire Police spokesman said: "The rules are very clear as to the conditions you must abide by when riding one of these scooters and anyone found breaking these rules will be issued suspensions, bans or even face criminal action.”

“Riding a scooter under the influence is illegal and if caught, you will be arrested.

“Voi encourages responsible riding and offers a 'reaction time test' feature that aims to discourage drunk riding. Should a rider fail the reaction test, they are presented with a Google search for local taxis!”