A BLIND rights campaigner has labelled e-scooters a “serious hazard for blind people” and says they “should never have been allowed” in the county.

Jill Allen King, OBE, believes e-scooters are “as bad, if not worse” than pavement cyclists in posing a threat to people who are blind and visually impaired.

Mrs Allen King, who has been campaigning to improve pavement conditions for the blind community since 1978, believes the scooters, which are frequently left on pavements, pose a greater danger to people without guide dogs.

This comes as Essex Police seized six e-scooters on Southend High Street recently.

Mrs Allen King, from Southend, said: “E-scooters should never have been allowed and there have been accidents as a result of allowing them, they pose a real hazard.

“E-scooters are encouraged to ride on pavements, people park them anywhere and that is what has caused the issues, they are real hazard for the blind which is something I have come to notice more recently as I have been without a guide dog.

“The hazards are worse without a dog and the majority of blind people don’t have a dog and are elderly or disabled and with the current state of the pavement, which is appalling, it makes it so much more dangerous.”

Mrs Allen-King added she has long been campaigning to cut overhanging branches and obstacles for the blind on pavements, such as parked cars, but deems cyclists and now e-scooters to be the biggest issue at the moment.

She said; “The biggest hazard has always been cyclists on the pavement but e-scooters are as bad if not worse and even where you have lanes for them to go into, they don’t ever seem to be used by the riders.

“I feel a blind eye is being turned to the issue, particularly when e-scooters are being ridden on the High Street.

“Just this morning, I walked only ten minutes down the road to collect my shopping and there were enough hazards on the pavement, including three parked cars, it would have been a real issue if an e-scooter went past.”