More than a dozen people were hurt in crashes involving electric scooters in Hampshire last year, new figures reveal.

Department for Transport figures which have been published for the first time, show 17 casualties were recorded by Hampshire Constabulary as having been involved in accidents with e-scooters in 2020.

Across Britain, police forces recorded 484 casualties resulting from 460 e-scooter incidents last year, which showed around 384 of those casualties were e-scooter riders.

It is currently illegal to ride e-scooters on public roads outside of Government-backed trials, which began in certain areas last summer.

The DfT said the figures are likely to relate largely to private use, while one e-scooter rider was killed and 128 people were seriously injured following crashes across Britain last year.

The DfT warned many non-fatal casualties may have gone unrecorded nationally because there is no obligation to report such incidents to police forces.

As of July 1, three vehicle special orders for the use of e-scooters were active in the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton.

David Renard, transport spokesman for the Local Government Association, which represents councils, said: “The use of e-scooters on public highways and footpaths outside of designated trial areas is illegal.

“Councils and operators are working together in these trial areas to ensure that routes are safe for both users and other members of the public and thereby reduce the chance of injuries.”

Of the e-scooter riders who were injured following crashes, around two-thirds were aged under 30, including 118 who were 10 to19 years old and two who were under 10.

A DfT spokesman added: “Safety will always be our top priority and the trials currently taking place in 31 regions across England are allowing us to better understand the benefits of e-scooters and their impact on public space.

“Evidence from the trials will allow government to consider how best to design future regulations and avoid the issues that other countries have faced.“