Blind woman speaks out after being hit by teenagers on an e-scooter in Milton Keynes

Guide Dogs, a charity which helps blind people with the provision of guide dogs, has urged the public to think twice before buying e-scooters as festive gifts this after guide dog owner Elain Maries, from MK, was hit earlier this year.

Elaine has shared her story. She said: “I was getting my guide dog Inca into her harness just outside on the pavement where I live, when I could tell something was coming towards me, but I didn’t know what it was.

"All I could hear was two voices screaming and the next thing I knew one of them had hit me with such force he knocked me over into Inca. It was extremely unsettling, as I didn’t know what had hit me.

“A nearby pedestrian who came and checked on me told me it was two teenage boys riding the same e-scooter that had hit me and knocked me down. Neither of the boys checked on me to see if I was okay. They hopped back on the e-scooter and drove off.

"Luckily, neither Inca or I were injured from the incident, but it could have been so much worse.

"As someone with sight loss, it’s difficult for me to know where e-scooters are as they operate quietly. I was only able to know something was approaching me because they two boys were screaming and by then, it was too late, I had been hit.”

Chris Theobald, from Guide Dogs, said it’s important the public understand the laws around the use of e-scooters this Christmas.

He said: "Our concern is that people will buy e-scooters as gifts without realising that using them on public roads and paths is illegal. Anyone riding an e-scooter should be aware of the impact of unsafe or anti-social use.

"People with sight loss struggle to identify e-scooters because they operate quietly. When you can’t see or hear an e-scooter coming, it’s almost impossible to avoid."

Chris also said the boom in e-scooter sales could have 'real consequences' for people with sight loss.

He said: "E-scooters sold privately don’t have to meet rigorous safety standards, which is why we are seeing dangerous models with top speeds of up to 40mph on public roads.”

A charity spokesperson wanted to remind the public about the consequences of illegally riding an e-scooter on public roads and pavements.

They said: "It’s against the law to use a privately-owned e-scooter on public land, including roads, pavements and pedestrianised areas. If caught in public, riders could face a £300 fine, up to six penalty points on their driving licence and even risk getting the e-scooter impounded. Riders can only use their own e-scooters on private land."

Since the summer, the government has approved year-long trials of e-scooter rental schemes in areas across England. Only e-scooters rented as part of the trials are legal for use on public roads – though their use on pavement remains banned.

The warning from Guide Dogs comes as retailers are offering deals on e-scooters for Black Friday. Last month, Halfords reported sales of e-scooters were up by 450 per cent in recent weeks, despite privately-owned e-scooters being banned from public roads.

While Google shopping searches for e-scooters have spiked in recent weeks. Reports of dangerous and anti-social use of e-scooters are increasing across the UK, according to the charity.

E-scooters which are part of trials have a maximum speed of 15.5mph, but those sold privately do not have to meet the same standards.