David Amess, the Conservative MP for Southend West, has called for new laws to make mobility scooter insurance compulsory.

The town's Essex Echo reports that Mr. Amess has tabled a parliamentary question on the issue but has been rebuffed by  Chris Mole, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Transport. In his response Mr. Mole said: "We currently have no plans to introduce legislation requiring users of mobility scooters to hold insurance. They are nevertheless subject to the law of civil liability. We do strongly recommend that mobility scooter users take out insurance and that they avail themselves of the advice and training that is available in a number of locations such as Shopmobility venues." He added: "We are aware that the number of mobility scooters is on the increase. The Department for Transport is procuring a survey to help assess the number of mobility scooter users and the extent to which their use may have injured people."

Mr. Amess's call was backed by Ron Sverdloff, director of mobility dealer Scooter Club UK, who told the Echo: "“I’m astounded that it’s not a legal requirement already. As you get older you lose your ability to retain the skills you learned when you were younger. It’s not a fault of the individual, it’s a part of ageing, a natural process. But that makes them a little bit more risky on the pavements.

“Insurance is a good idea for everybody’s benefit.”

To read the full Echo story,click here.