Gardaí stop child, 8, travelling at speeds of up to 30km/h on e-scooter

Whilst on patrol on Tuesday evening, gardaí stopped and spoke to a young child in Dundalk

The scooter was seized, and gardaí spoke to the child's parents. Picture: An Garda Síochána

"An e-scooter in a child's hands can turn a minute of fun into a lifetime of sorrow." 

That was the warning from gardaí after an eight-year-old was seen travelling at speeds of up to 30km/h in Co Louth. 

Whilst on patrol on Tuesday evening, gardaí observed the young child in charge of the device in Dundalk. 

The child was stopped and spoken to, only for gardaí to establish that they were eight years old. 

The scooter was seized, and gardaí spoke to the child's parents. 

"Gardaí don't want to be seen as killjoys, but we cannot sit back and watch people (especially kids) be put in harm's way," gardaí said in a Facebook post. 

"E-scooters that comply with regulations should only be used by persons over 16, and we would encourage users to wear appropriate safety gear and ensure lights are working."