ALMOST two-thirds of Argus readers believe e-scooters should remain illegal for use on public roads, according to a poll.

Out of 877 people polled, 62 per cent said that the vehicles should not be allowed on roads, amid a clampdown across Sussex on their use in public.

It comes as officers were spotted near Old Steine Gardens in Brighton seizing e-scooters from riders on Wednesday afternoon (February 9).

Readers shared their experiences of e-scooters, with Nicola Rafferty complaining that some riders of the scooters often drive on pavements and said she was nearly knocked over by one of them, while Richard Cobb said he has to narrowly avoid hitting some as he drives as "they just swerve out because the wheels are so small".

The Argus: Police were spotted seizing e-scooters from riders in Brighton city centre on Wednesday evening (February 9)Police were spotted seizing e-scooters from riders in Brighton city centre on Wednesday evening (February 9)

He said: "In the first lockdown I had one of these scooters and the idea is right, but just not very safe as they don't have indicators and if you take your hand off the bar, you will lose control.

"No brake lights, the front light isn't bright enough and no fog lights."

Kevin Barry shared Richard's concerns and said they are "too dangerous given the state of the roads and small wheels."

However, Sarah Wilson said she felt bad for the person caught riding an e-scooter by police.

She said: "He's got his helmet on and is clearly not affecting one other person. A lot of people this age are too young to drive and don't want to travel on buses due to expenses and Covid.

"E-scooters are a safe, money efficient and easy way to get to and from their location if they are wearing a helmet and using cycle lanes when possible."

Sussex Police announced a crackdown on the use of e-scooters in public areas, amid increasing concerns about road safety.

However, Matthew Ebers wondered why police were working on tackling this issue, rather than "looking into knife crime and helping homeless people" in the city - a view shared by Heather Pullen.

She said: "Five police officers wasting time on this is ridiculousness. Haven't they got anything better to do?"

Mick Baines agreed and said: "Please can you get on with some proper police work now you've had fun taking away some scooters."

Have you got a story for us? Email news@theargus.co.uk or contact us here.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.

Sign up to our newsletter to get updates sent straight to your inbox.

You can also call us on 01273 021 400.