Hoverboard barred from UK streets

Police say the scooter, a favourite of the likes of football stars and Justin Bieber, is classed as a motor vehicle

They have exploded in popularity and have been used by sports stars, celebrities and rappers, but "hoverboard" scooters are illegal to use in public in Britain, it has been confirmed.

The Met Police tweeted to confirm that the "self-balancing scooters" cannot be ridden on roads or pavements, and are only allowed on private property.

The vehicles, which have become a common sight on streets and range upward from around 200 ($459), are a sort-of sideways electric skateboard, with users leaning forward or backward to control them.

But they must adhere to the same rules as Segways under UK law. Segways are motor vehicles and thus cannot be ridden on pavements, but are not licensed either, so are not allowed to go on roads.

In fact, the only legal place to ride a hoverboard is on private property, with the permission of the property's owner, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The message apparently did not make it to Manchester, where one police officer was seen using a hoverboard on Sunday.

Manchester's GMP Swinton account tweeted a picture of a police officer using a hoverboard on a pavement.

In 2011, a judge decided that Segways must qualify as motor vehicles, and fined a man 75 for riding them on the pavement.

The Segway never really caught on despite its initial buzz, but the hoverboard is becoming an increasingly common sight.

Several Premier League footballers and celebrities including Justin Bieber have been seen using them.

However, they are not without their controversies. The rapper Wiz Khalifa was handcuffed at LAX airport for refusing to dismount. Telegraph Group Ltd