Man pleads guilty after importing almost 1,000 unsafe scooters, e-scooters and e-bikes
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An Islington man has been prosecuted for importing nearly 1,000 unsafe scooters, e-scooters and e-bikes, as they were found to be non-compliant with UK product safety standards. Sardar Rassa was two weeks ago handed a six-month custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months, after tests commissioned by Islington Council revealed “serious safety issues” with the imported products.
![[Hundreds of imported scooters were seized by Islington Council's trading standards team]](https://static.standard.co.uk/2025/01/22/16/08/Container-before.jpg?trim=0,0,0,0&quality=75&auto=webp&width=960)
The shipment was made up of 600 children’s scooters, 140 adult scooters, 180 e-scooters and 54 e-bikes - all of which were deemed to be non-compliant, as a sample failed to pass the council’s tests. Unsafe e-scooters and e-bikes have in recent years become one of London’s fastest growing fire risks. This is due to the lithium batteries used to power them, which can catch fire or even explode if they have been poorly designed or are not charged safely.
![[Hundreds of imported scooters were seized by Islington Council's trading standards team]](https://static.standard.co.uk/2025/01/22/16/53/Escooter-2.jpg?trim=0,0,0,0&quality=75&auto=webp&width=960)
The products imported by Mr Rassa were first flagged at a port in Suffolk in November 2021, when an initial test revealed safety failings. Despite being advised to return the goods to China, Mr Rassa insisted they were legally compliant. The enforcement authorities released the consignment, which was subsequently moved to a storage facility in Islington.
But once the products had arrived in London, the borough’s trading standards team intervened, and ordered that the stock be suspended until the various products had been shown to be safe. The suspension meant that they could not be moved without informing the council.
