A pedicab rider has been arrested and a haul of street-trading equipment seized in a major enforcement crackdown on Westminster Bridge.
The operation, carried out on 29 October, brought together city inspectors, police, Immigration Enforcement, Transport for London and the Mounted Police. Action was taken against breaches of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) and other offences.
Among the items seized were a peanut trolley, a 360-degree photography machine and a pedicab. The pedicab rider was arrested by Immigration Enforcement and the vehicle was taken into council custody. A busker’s equipment was also confiscated, and the individual will be reported for offences. Four fixed penalty notices are to be issued to pedicab riders for breaching the PSPO.
Westminster City Council’s cabinet member for enforcement, Cllr Caroline Sargent, said the bridge is one of London’s most iconic locations, not a place for people to break the rules or operate unlawfully. She said the operation sends a clear message that illegal operation or disruption of public spaces will meet enforcement action, and that the council will keep working with partners to protect Westminster’s streets so residents and visitors can enjoy them safely.
Westminster Bridge is one of the capital’s busiest tourist crossings, linking Westminster with the South Bank and carrying a constant flow of visitors, street traders, performers and pedicabs. That mix is exactly why it draws enforcement attention: a narrow, crowded bridge where unlicensed trading, amplified busking and pedicab touting can quickly block pavements and frustrate the people trying to cross it.
The PSPO is the council’s main tool for that work. It sets rules for behaviour in a defined public area, and breaching it can lead to a fixed penalty notice — the route taken here for four pedicab riders. Seizure of equipment and arrest, as happened to the rider taken into custody by Immigration Enforcement, sit at the sharper end of the same operation.
The council says further intelligence-led enforcement activity will continue in hotspot locations across the city. That wording matters: this was not presented as a one-off sweep, but as part of ongoing efforts to protect public spaces and address behaviour that negatively impacts residents, businesses and visitors.
For visitors, the practical takeaway is simple. Pedicabs, peanut sellers, photo machines and buskers are part of the bridge’s everyday scene — but those operating without permission, or in breach of the PSPO, risk having their equipment taken and facing penalties. Anyone hiring a pedicab on the bridge should check that the rider is operating lawfully before setting off.
Related: Ravenscourt Park commuters warned after repeated thefts at station
Related: Detectives launch probe into Hornchurch gunshot reports three weeks on
