E-scooters and bikes banned inside University of Leeds buildings over fire concern

It comes after an e-scooter fire caused significant damage to a building on campus and fire services across the country have warned of a rise in fatalities and injuries caused by lithium batteries.

Students and staff are instead being told to store the devices, as well as electric hoverboards and skateboards, in external bike shelters and lockers.

A spokesperson for the University of Leeds said: “We recognise the impact this may have on electric bike users.

"To support the continued use of electric bikes the University is working to install lockable external charging points in locations across campus.”

These external charging points will be in place before the start of the new semester with details announced in due course.

The University says it will be operating an amnesty period until January 2024 at which point disciplinary action may be taken against those who continue to charge or store the devices inside buildings on campus.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service issued a warning about the dangers of lithium batteries earlier this year after an electric motorbike exploded in a home in Halifax.

The incident, which was caught on camera, took place in the early hours of the morning and resulted in five people having to receive medical treatment.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We have released the shocking video after the owner of the property, in Halifax, agreed it needed to be seen, to educate the public on the dangers of lithium batteries.

“While fires involving lithium batteries are common, having a video showing the violence of the fire’s development is not.

"It’s clear to see in the video that the fire is absolutely horrifying – none of us would want this to happen in our homes.

“Because lithium batteries can be found in a range of items, we frequently attend fires involving them.

"They can be found in cars, bikes, scooters, laptops, phones, and e-cigarettes, amongst many other items.

“Any other type of fire we deal with has usually developed slowly, and people are able to get out quickly. However, battery fires are so ferocious and spread so quickly that there isn’t as much time to escape.”

The University of Sussex banned e-scooters in January 2022 following several near-misses with pedestrians and after a crash which killed a rider near its campus.

It came after similar concerns were also raised over the fire risk posed by lithium batteries, especially in student accommodation.