Councillors have backed a motion calling on the Government to speed up legislation regulating the use of e-bikes and e-scooters.

During the meeting of Cheshire West and Chester's full council on Thursday (15 October), a nurse who serves as a councillor spoke of her "terror" following a recent e-bike encounter at the debate about taking tougher action over their illegal use.

The other aspect of the motion called on the council to explore Nottingham City Council's use of Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs).

These restrict the use of face coverings - including balaclavas - in public spaces to tackle anti-social behaviour, and consider the use of the same powers within the borough.

The motion was introduced by Cllr Peter Wheeler, Labour councillor for Ledsham and Manor, who said he wanted the legal use to be encouraged but called for a crackdown on illegal and anti-social use.

He told the meeting: "In my ward we've just had an example.

"Quiet close on Ledsham Garden Village. People turned up in balaclavas on bikes, harassing the neighbours and abusing them and then they're away before the police can get there.

"We need stronger powers to take those bikes off them."

During the debate, Netherpool councillor Katie Kendrick (Labour) told members of a recent experience involving the illegal use of an e-bike.

She said: "Just the other day I was driving when an e-bike rider suddenly cut across me.

"The rider travelled alongside my car doing a wheelie before pulling in front of me with no helmet and little protection. It was scary. One loss of control, one split-second misjudgement, and someone could be injured or killed."

Cllr Kendrick works as an A&E nurse and said she sees injuries resulting from accidents with no helmets.

She said: "When I saw that rider, I wasn't seeing bravado I was seeing where this could possibly end, and this terrified me."

Helsby councillor Chris Copeman (Green) had earlier said councillors "should not throw the baby out with the bathwater" and said the real issue was with 'illegal' e-bikes, and that their legal use could help benefit the environment.

He told the chamber: "Riders will still continue to buy illegal e-bikes if legislation is introduced."

Nottingham became one of the first cities in the UK to introduce restrictions on balaclavas, allowing police and community protection officers to ask people to remove them if they 'reasonably believe' they are being used to conceal their identity to commit crime or anti-social behaviour.

Anyone who refuses could face a £70 fixed penalty notice or be prosecuted, with courts able to impose a maximum fine of £1,000.

Cllr Ben Walker, Labour councillor for Chester City and The Garden, said the issue with face coverings was the "abuse" of them.

He said: "Why is it we have residents able to recall incidents where people are caked up in face coverings in the middle of summer zooming up and down at god knows how many miles an hour. We need to do something about it."

Cllr Walker added: "This is saying to those in authority if you think something isn't right get on it.

"We want to give you the powers to do more. We're asking the Government to hurry up in making these powers available and we're asking Cheshire Police and our local authority to look at what Nottingham is doing and emulate that.

"Our estates, towns and through routes are not the playpens for cloth-clad drug mules. It's time for action and not words."

A vote saw a majority of councillors back the motion.