Disqualified driver riding electric bike caught out by plain-clothed officers

A 41-year-old disqualified driver did not realise he would be breaking the law by riding an electrically modified bike.Rocky Payne, 41, of Saddlebow Road in South Lynn, appeared at the town’s magistrates’ court on Thursday, where he admitted driving while disqualified.The court heard that Payne was caught out by three plain-clothed police officers while he was riding a bike on the Bawsey Drain Path between Losinga Road and Columbia Way in North Lynn.

Officers stopped him and saw that Payne was riding a bike adapted with a battery pack strapped onto the back wheel – making the bike a mechanically propelled vehicle.Payne was disqualified from driving in 2019 after being found guilty of dangerous driving.In mitigation, Tiffany Meredith told the court that Payne was not aware that riding the bike would have meant he was breaching his disqualification. The solicitor explained that Payne was able to get his bike back from the police without a driving licence – something you cannot do when collecting other vehicles.“Members of the public do not know the law about e-bikes,” Ms Meredith said. “It didn’t occur to him that the men on bikes were the police. He wanted to cycle away because he didn’t know they were officers.”Ms Meredith explained that once his driving disqualification has ended, Payne wants to complete a re-test so that he can “help his family”.“He has been on the straight and narrow since his drug offence in 2020,” Ms Meredith added. Magistrates handed Payne a £200 fine and ordered him to pay a £48 victim surcharge £48 and court costs of £40.Six penalty points have also been added to Payne’s driving licence.