POLICE are continuing to crackdown on the illegal use of electric bikes by young people in the St Austell area – and are urging parents to back them.

Officers have reported that in June the St Austell neighbourhood policing team dealt with five such incidents of electric bikes on roads and in public spaces.

The police said: “Officers have educated riders, reported them for consideration of prosecution and seized bikes.

“The team would like to take this opportunity to reach out to parents who are putting their children at risk by allowing them to use such bikes and exposing them to police action.

“Please act now, so that officers are not contacting parents, informing them about their child being seriously hurt or worse.”