the times | Thursday April 28 2022 19
News
The use of private e-scooters on the
roads could soon be permitted under a
change in the law to be announced next
month.
Grant Shapps, the transport secre-
tary, said legislation would be included
in the Queen’s Speech on May 10.
At present, only e-scooters rented
through an approved trial scheme are
legal to use on the road. They must not
exceed 15.5mph and 55kg, while users
must be more than 16 years old and
hold at least a provisional driving
licence.
Privately owned e-scooters, of which
about one million have been sold in the
UK, are banned on highways, although
they are already a common sight in
towns and cities. Riders who break the
law face a fine of £300 and six points on
their current or future driving licence.
Shapps told the Commons transport
select committee: “We will take powers
to properly regulate and then be able to
E-scooter riders heading
for right side of the law
decide the usage of them. They’re a
reality, they exist.”
More than 130 pedestrians were in-
jured by e-scooters in the year to June
2021, according to government figures.
The vehicles have drawn criticism
from safety campaigners, especially
those representing people with sight-
loss, as they make virtually no sound
and can rarely be heard on busy roads.
Ben Bradshaw, the Labour MP for
Exeter, described e-scooters as a “con-
venient, cheap and environmentally
friendly form of transport” as he asked
Shapps when the Department for
Transport would “get a move on and
properly license these things”.
In his response, Shapps said: “I shall
announce it on May 10.”
Edmund King, president of the AA,
said that the technology could have a
positive effect but must be safe, adding:
“The government is right to address
this issue and bring in regulations
rather than allowing some of our cities
to be overrun like the Wild West with
illegal scooters.”Ben Clatworthy
Transport Correspondent
Bill of sale A 6ft Senufo bird costume from the Ivory Coast is for sale at £600 in
a tribal objects auction in Salisbury, Wiltshire, also including a 3ft Nicobar “devil”
MAX WILLCOCK/BNPSTim Westwood has stepped down from
his Capital Xtra radio show after seven
women made claims of sexual miscon-
duct against him.
Westwood, 64, a former BBC Radio 1
presenter, was accused of predatory
sexual behaviour and groping as part of
a joint investigation by the BBC and
The Guardian. A representative for the
DJ said he denied any wrongdoing.
Global, the radio company that owns
Capital Xtra, said: “Following the
claims that have recently come to light,
Tim Westwood has stepped down from
his show until further notice.”
The company, which also controls
LBC and Classic FM, did not say whe-
ther it had received any complaints
about Westwood, who has worked for
the hip-hop station since 2013. He
joined the station, then Choice FM,
Westwood quits radio show after misconduct claims
from the BBC, where he worked for
nearly 20 years on Radio 1 and 1Xtra.
Tim Davie, the BBC’s director-gener-
al, said allegations that Westwood
abused his position of power were
“shocking”, but the corporation had not
found a record of any formal complaint
against him.
Interviewed at a Voice of the Listener
& Viewer conference yesterday, Davie
said: “The testimony of the women is
powerful and appalling... If people
have evidence where things weren’t
followed up, or they have concern in
this area, bring it to us. We will follow up
anything and we’ll dig and dig and dig.”
Davie led the BBC’s radio division
from 2008 to 2012, overlapping with
Westwood’s time as a presenter for four
years. He would have been privy to the
decision to remove Westwood from his
1Xtra drivetime show in 2012, when the
DJ claimed he was “sacked”. There wasno suggestion that the decision was
linked to any allegations of misconduct.
The director-general said he was
working to create a truly inclusive
workforce in which people felt confi-
dent to speak up.
Three women accused Westwood of
opportunistic and predatory sexual be-
haviour; the four others allege he
groped them. The allegations were
made in a BBC3 documentary last
night, Tim Westwooin collaboration
with The Guardian. The incidents are
alleged to have taken place between
1992 and 2017.
Pamela, the pseudonym of one of
Westwood’s alleged victims, claimedthat he invited her to do work experi-
ence with him at Radio 1. He drove her
to an apartment, where Pamela alleged
that he attempted to kiss her neck and
remove her clothing without consent.
“If you are trying to actively touch me
and I am pushing your hand away, that
means I don’t want to do anything with
you,” she said. “If you are trying toremove [an] item of my clothing, and I
put it back on, that means I don’t want
it to be gone.”
The work experience did not materi-
alise and Pamela criticised the BBC and
other bodies for allowing Westwood to
accumulate power and influence.
A second woman, identified as Tam-
ara, said Westwood performed oral sex
on her without consent when she was 17.
She said the DJ had “absolute power”.
Westwood’s representative said: “He
strongly denies all allegations of in-
appropriate behaviour. In a career that
has spanned 40 years there have never
been any complaints made against him
officially or unofficially.”Jake Kanter Media Correspondent Tim Westwood
faces accusations
by seven women