REDDITCH Labour group is calling for the e-scooter trial in the borough to be paused after the death of a 12-year-old boy.

Last week an inquest was held into the death of Mustafa Nadeem, who died in a bus crash while riding an e-scooter in Bordesley Green, Birmingham.

The inquest heard a friend of the schoolboy unlocked the Voi e-scooter using an app transferred from an adult’s phone, using a verification code received on the original handset.

The coroner was told Mustafa’s friend used an under-16’s bank account to hire the e-scooter.

A public meeting was held in Redditch on June 28 to discuss the future of the Bird e-scooter trial in the borough.

Following the meeting, Redditch Labour has written a letter to Rachel Maclean MP, leader of Redditch Borough Council Cllr Matt Dormer and chief executive of Redditch Borough Council, Kevin Dicks calling for a pause on the trial.

The letter states: “We believe that Redditch does not have the relevant infrastructure such as extensive cycle lanes to accommodate safe e-scooter use. This is a scheme more suited to cities than our town.

“We appreciate that a small minority of people in Redditch like and use Bird Scooters regularly, but the safety concerns cannot be ignored any longer.

“In particular we need to consider facial recognition for all users as a precondition for use, the provision of safety helmets, and a comprehensive insurance offer from the provider.”

The Advertiser is yet to receive a response from Bird, Rachel Maclean's office and Redditch Borough Council.