Features / southmead
Residents say illegal e-bikes are a major issue
In Southmead, the high-pitched whirr cutting through residential streets and alleyways has become an increasingly familiar sound.
As Sur-Ron-style electric bikes move at speed between estates, pavements and cut-throughs, unease is growing among some residents.
Accounts shared with Bristol24/7 include near-misses, intimidation and incidents they link to reckless riding across pavements and public spaces.
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For many, these bikes are now a near-daily presence, adding to wider concerns about safety and antisocial behaviour in the area.
Some of these modified bikes are capable of reaching speeds of up to 68mph.
While certain variants can be made road legal in the UK if they are properly registered, taxed and insured, most standard Sur-Ron models are designed for off-road use only.
Bristol24/7 spoke to residents, councillors and community representatives about how the bikes are affecting daily life, why reporting remains difficult and whether enforcement alone can solve the problem.
Avon and Somerset Police were approached for comment but did not respond.
The bikes’ growing visibility on streets and estates has prompted debate locally about how the issue should be addressed
Lifelong Southmead resident and Southmead Development Trust trustee Linda Moore-Kibbey says the rise in the bikes has changed how safe she feels in the area.
Linda, who uses a mobility scooter, says she was previously involved in a collision with one of the bikes and now encounters riders regularly.
“I think they’re a really big issue,” she says. “I know a lot of older people that don’t like them, me included.
“I’m on a mobility scooter, and they come up so quietly behind you and then just rush past you, and it does frighten me.
“Especially at night, they just rush past you. They don’t care.”
She says she now avoids going out alone after dark and worries about her granddaughter’s safety.
Groups of riders speed through the area
Linda also believes some riders are involved in drug dealing and theft.
“I’ve been out, and I’ve seen them doing what looks like dealing, always shouting at other people, not taking any notice on the road or the pavement,” she says.
“People are frightened to be around them. They never know what they’re carrying or what they’re doing.”
She also recounts a second-hand account she heard from a friend about an alleged bag-snatching involving a rider.
Residents report riders ‘cutting up the grass’ on Southmead’s green spaces
Eric Grant, 77, who has lived in Southmead since 1977, says the bikes have been an issue for years.
“The problem is that the police can’t chase them because it could cause an accident, even though the bikes are illegal themselves,” he says.
He also says riders have damaged local green space.
“They cut up the grass on Glencoyne Square,” he says.
Linda says a stronger police presence is needed, but adds that residents are often reluctant to report incidents.
“We don’t see many police officers on the estate at the moment,” she says. “They’ve been left to get on with what they’re doing.”
“People are frightened to report these crimes because of who’s doing it. They’re frightened of people getting them back.”
Glencoyne Square is a hot-spot for Sur-Ron and e-bike activity
In a joint statement, Southmead councillors Kaz Self and Kye Dudd say the issue is a “huge concern”:
“We are regularly contacted about issues stemming from the e-bikes, ranging from dangerous driving to criminal activity.
“These bikes are not road legal, so tackling these bikes is primarily within the police’s remit.
“The police’s approach needs to be based on intelligence and local information, which allows them to track down the riders and intervene at an appropriate time.
“We encourage residents to report incidents to 101 and Crimestoppers.
“We have raised this with the police and will continue to work with them to tackle this issue.”
The reliance on community intelligence, coupled with some residents’ reluctance to report incidents, highlights the practical limits of enforcement.
For some in Southmead, the bikes cannot be separated from the wider social conditions affecting the area.
Southmead has seen significant regeneration and investment in recent years, alongside programmes aimed at supporting families through early intervention.
However, some residents say there is a gap in provision for older teenagers and young adults.
A 26-year-old lifelong Southmead resident, who asked not to be named, says the issue is not solely about enforcement.
“There’s not enough for 18 to 25-year-olds to do in Southmead,” he says. “They choose to deal or do other things instead; that’s why they are on those bikes.
“There’s nothing else to do and nowhere to go. There’s also high unemployment for younger people in the area, and it’s a quick way for them to make money.”
Southmead Central, where many of the reported incidents involving Sur-Ron-style bikes occur, is among the most deprived neighbourhoods in England.
It is ranked in the first decile for deprivation, placing it 1,177th out of 33,755 neighbourhoods nationally, according to the latest Index of Multiple Deprivation.
His comments point to a wider question about whether policing alone can address the issue, or whether longer-term investment in youth services, employment opportunities and community provision also has a role to play.
Linda also believes the issue is more visible in Southmead than in surrounding areas.
“I don’t see them in Henleaze, Westbury or Filton either,” she says.
Whether the response lies in enforcement, investment in youth provision, or a combination of both, there is still no clear consensus.
For residents such as Linda, the concern is immediate and practical: how safe they feel moving through their own streets.
For others, the bikes have become a symptom of wider structural pressures in the area, rather than an isolated problem.
What is clear is that the conversation is no longer about whether there is a problem, but how it should be addressed.
All photos: Nicholas Pearson
Maelo Manning is reporting on Southmead as part of Bristol24/7’s Community Reporters programme, aiming to amplify marginalised voices and communities often overlooked by mainstream media. This initiative is funded by our public, Better Business members and a grant from The Nisbets Trust.
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