This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Police in Copenhagen have arrested 28 people for riding electric scooters under the influence of cannabis and alcohol.

During the weekend 24 people were caught riding the scooters drunk and four were stoned, the force announced on Twitter, after police began a crackdown in the Danish capital on misuse of the scooters introduced to the city earlier this year.

In Denmark, driving an electric scooter or a car with an alcohol level equal to or higher than 0.5g per litre of blood is punishable with a 2,000-krone (£235) fine.

The new mode of transport has become popular on the streets of Copenhagen and many locals are unhappy with the influx of scooters, which are often poorly parked.

In June, the city council announced it would allow only 200 electric scooters in the mainly pedestrianised city centre and capped their number in the whole city to 3,000.

Copenhagen is not the only capital city coping with the new trend. Paris has introduced fines of €135 (£120) for riding electric scooters on the pavement. In June the mayor, Anne Hidalgo, announced a ban on parking on the pavement.

Fans see the scooters as a quick and cheap way to get around, with the dockless devices unlocked with a phone app. Once a ride is over, they can be left anywhere. But critics say they pose a safety risk for users and pedestrians.