Police have written to the parents of children at a Bristol school to tell them that e-scooters will be confiscated if they are repeatedly used in public places. The force says that students seen on privately-owned scooters will first be given a warning – but if they are caught a second time, the e-scooter will be seized and "not returned".

The Bristol Post reports that the letter makes reference to an increase in the number of students using electric scooters to get to Bedminster Down School.

PC Thompson writes: "Although the law is very straightforward about the use of e-scooters in public, there is a lot of confusion amongst the general public.

"They see them being used on the Continent (where they are legal) and they can freely buy them on the high street or online.

"Unfortunately, many people say that the fact that they cannot use them on the roads was not mentioned when they were sold them, and they are unaware of this restriction.

"Please note, some changes were made to the law to make the use of some e-scooters in public lawful; this ONLY relates to e-scooters hired from an approved rental company, such as the current trial in Bristol."

Thompson says that if a student is spotted riding an e-scooter, police will “safely store the scooter” until a parent or guardian can collect it.

If a student is stopped for riding one a second time, “then the scooter will be seized under ‘no insurance’” and will not be returned.

Last month police in London seized dozens of e-scooters in operations in Brixton and Clapham. The crackdown came ahead of three e-scooter trials in the capital which are starting this month.

The government has postponed a decision on potentially changing the legality of e-scooters pending the outcome of those trials.

Retailer Halfords is among those who have called for the law to be updated, suggesting that the UK is ‘behind the curve’ when it comes to legalisation.