A woman who was left bleeding and bruised after being hit by an e-scooter has said more needs to be done to crack down on their use before someone is killed.
It is currently illegal to ride an e-scooter which is not part of a government trial on anything but private land in the UK.
Trials are currently taking place in 50 cities and towns across the UK, with the government set to decide on their future use when it comes to end in March 2022. Locally, a Beryl trial is running in Norwich and one run by Ginger is ongoing in Great Yarmouth.
Woman-is-left-bleeding-after-being-hit-by-an-e-scooter
But incidents involving private scooters being illegally used are continuing nationally - in London a three-year-old girl was left with life-changing injuries last week after being hit by one.
Clare, who chose not to give her surname, was walking in the Coslany Street area of Norwich on Saturday, July 17 when she was hit by an e-scooter at around 11.30am.
She turned into a pedestrianised street when she was hit by the scooter, which she believes could have been travelling as fast as 30mph.
"His arm shot up and hit me, my nose exploded and covered me in blood and knocked me over," she said.
"He fell off and people were shouting but he got up and left me in the street, which was disgusting. He left me there covered in blood.
"He shouldn't have been in that area on a scooter, he shouldn't have been going as fast as he was and he shouldn't have left me."
She said the young man was with a friend on a bike, whose initial response was to ask if the scooter was okay. Norfolk police is now investigating.
"I have not been able to work for a week," she said, "and have been covered in cuts and bruises.
"I had only slightly stepped out - if I'd have been further he'd have hit me full on and I don't think I would be here now. I have black eyes and a black and yellow nose.
"I am so grateful as it could have been worse. The thing that really shook me up was if that had been a child or a dog one tiny fraction further out they would have been dead."
Initially thinking it was a Beryl scooter, Clare contacted the company, but they confirmed it did not belong to them and said their scooters are limited to 12.5mph.
Clare said more action was needed to crack down on their use and enforce laws.
"He could not control it," she said. "It scared me. I have lived around the world and I never thought something like that would happen.
"There was nothing I could do - if I had stepped into a road I would take responsibility.
"I can see it killing someone. It's only a matter of time."
Neighbours said they have raised wider concerns about road safety there, including motorbikes using Coslany Square illegally and blind bends, with authorities, and that solutions were being looked into.
The future use of e-scooters, after the trial, splits opinion - Guide Dogs charity, for example, has said often silent e-scooters pose risks to the visually impaired.
Retail giant Halford's, on the other hand, has launched a campaign calling on the government to use the results of its trial to allow people to use e-scooters on roads.
The official government trial began in July last year and has now been extended to March 2022, having originally been due to end this August.
In April, Norfolk Constabulary said in a Freedom of Information request there had been 120 reports of incidents involving e-scooters in the previous year, including a person using one to pull a trailer at 60mph.
Norfolk police confirmed they were looking into the incident. The force has previously reminded road users of the rules around e-scooters and stressed private ones are illegal to use on anything but private land.
If you saw anything, please contact police on 101.
What are the laws around e-scooters?
The only e-scooters that can be used on public roads are those rented as part of government-backed trials.
If you own an e-scooter, you can only use it on private land and not on public roads, cycle lanes or pavements.
There is not yet a specific law for e-scooters and they are recognised as "powered transporters", falling under the same laws and regulations as motor vehicles. They are subject to the same requirements - MOT, tax, licensing and specific construction.
Because, then, they don't have visible rear red lights, number plates or signalling ability, they cannot be used legally on roads.
Rental e-scooters in the UK have speed limits of 15.5mph.
The Transport Committee of MPs has called for e-scooters to be legalised on roads, but not pavements.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here