NINE e-scooter riders have died in crashes this year, a report found — as “hundreds of thousands” of them are being used illegally.

       There were at least 300 casualties involving the gadgets — with most due to falls or hitting stationary objects, rather than collisions with moving vehicles.

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       A report showed that 360,000 of the gizmos were bought privately — despite being illegal on roads, pavements and parks Credit: Alamy

       Men were twice as likely to be -victims — costing the NHS an average of ￡1,000 to treat — while many were on drink or drugs, and only a small fraction of all casualties had been wearing a helmet.

       The report by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety charity comes after 50 councils launched e-scooter rental trials last year.

       It showed that 360,000 of the gizmos were bought privately — despite being illegal on roads, pavements, parks or cycleways.

       Hospitals in Bristol treated 90 patients with e-scooter related injuries over May and June alone. One in five had head injuries.

       Dr Edd Carlton, consultant at North Bristol NHS Trust, said: “The average cost is nearly ￡1,000 per patient.”

       In Liverpool, only one of 92 injured riders was hit by another vehicle — the rest fell or hit a stationary object.

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       At the Royal London Hospital, eight were treated for major head injuries from January to August.

       At the University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust, eight were admitted to the major trauma centre in the first eight months — half of them with skull fractures.

       Consultant Caroline Leech said: “Improving e-scooter safety is a priority to reduce the number and severity of injuries.”

       The report was compiled with data from the Department of Transport, hospital audits and media reports.

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       Dr Edd Carlton, consultant at North Bristol NHS Trust, said: 'The average cost is nearly ￡1,000 per patient'

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