No police officer committed misconduct in connection with the Eltham Hill e-bike death that left a 19-year-old rider dead, an investigation has concluded.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and the Metropolitan Police’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) both examined the circumstances of the collision between the teenager’s e-bike and a parked car on the evening of Monday 28 September. Neither found any wrongdoing by officers.
Officers were called to Eltham Hill at around 5.13pm after reports of a crash involving an e-bike and a parked vehicle. The 19-year-old rider was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and died a week later, with the Met confirming his death on Monday 5 October.
In a statement on Monday, the force revealed that a marked police car had been in the “immediate vicinity” of the e-bike shortly before the collision. While the Met has been clear that no pursuit was under way, the presence of officers nearby triggered a routine referral to the DPS and a mandatory referral to the IOPC.
The watchdog sent the case back to the Met, where it was investigated by the Directorate of Professional Standards. Its verdict: no misconduct was identified.
How police watchdog investigations work
When someone dies or is seriously injured following contact with the police — even where officers are not suspected of doing anything wrong — forces in England and Wales must refer the incident to the IOPC. The watchdog then decides how the matter should be dealt with.
It has a range of options. The IOPC can carry out its own independent investigation, direct or supervise an inquiry run by the force involved, or refer the case back to the force’s professional standards department for a local investigation — the route taken here. Whichever path is chosen, the purpose is the same: to establish the facts and decide whether any officer’s behaviour fell below the standards the public has a right to expect.
Within the Met, that job falls to the Directorate of Professional Standards, the unit that investigates complaints and conduct matters involving officers and staff. A finding of “no misconduct” means investigators concluded that those involved acted within the law and force policy.
While the conduct question is now settled, detectives are still working to establish exactly how the collision happened. DI Glen Mera said officers’ thoughts remained with the young man’s family and loved ones as they come to terms with their loss, and appealed for anyone who saw what happened — or who has dashcam or doorbell footage — to get in touch, saying any detail could prove vital to the investigation.
E-bike safety under the spotlight
The teenager’s death comes amid mounting concern about e-bike safety on London’s roads. Electric bikes have become a familiar sight across the capital in recent years, ridden by commuters, delivery couriers and hire-scheme users — and serious crashes involving them are increasingly making the news. Last week a rider was hurt when his e-bike ploughed into the front of a 149 bus on Tottenham’s High Road.
Under UK law, a road-legal electrically assisted pedal cycle must have working pedals and a motor that cuts out at 15.5mph. Machines that are more powerful, or which can be ridden on throttle power alone, count as motor vehicles — meaning they need insurance, a driving licence and an approved helmet, and riding one without those can lead to prosecution.
Police and road safety groups have repeatedly raised the alarm about illegally modified e-bikes capable of far greater speeds, which have been blamed for a string of serious collisions. The mayor, meanwhile, has promised a London-wide crackdown on dockless e-bike operators, describing the current free-for-all as the “Wild West”.
London Streets reported last week on the initial police appeal for witnesses after the 19-year-old was left critically injured. Anyone with information about the Eltham Hill collision is asked to call 101, quoting reference 5340/28SEP.
