A Police officer was injured after a theft and high-speed chase on a busy Edinburgh street – the latest in a string of e-bike incidents in the capital.
A masked thug was seen racing down Leith Walk on a high-powered electric motorcycle after a robbery on Picardy Place at 10.30pm on Saturday 5 September, with police in hot pursuit.
The man threw a bag of stolen goods onto the street as he went past the Boundary Bar pub, halfway down the Walk, in an apparent attempt to drop some weight.
Bartenders say the chase then proceeded on foot, and one officer appears to have been injured in the pursuit, with photos showing blood streaming down his arm in the aftermath.
Following the chase, several police cars were seen patrolling the area while officers recovered hundreds of pounds’ worth of stolen goods from the bag.
Police later confirmed the incident was in response to a theft on Picardy Place – further up Leith Walk – and one officer had to be treated in hospital following an injury.
Ross Patterson, 27, an eyewitness who works at the Boundary Bar, said the whole ordeal was over in a flash.
“A masked youth chucked a massive bag of stolen stuff at the police – who were chasing him,” he said.
“Then the police went sprinting off after him. I saw about six police cars circling around the area looking for him afterwards.”
Another bartender said the man may have fallen from the bike, prompting the police to give chase on foot.
Ross added that he was impressed by the police response: “There was an abundant police presence after the incident, and they were very quick to give chase and secure the area.”
The plastic bag was full of razors, portable chargers, a burner phone, and a toothbrush – totalling hundreds of pounds’ worth of goods.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 10.30pm on Saturday, 5 September, 2026, officers received a report of theft at a premises on Picardy Place, Edinburgh.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”
They also confirmed an officer was injured during the incident, and had to be treated in hospital.
This comes days after a string of e-bike- and electric motorcycle-related crime in the capital.
Just days ago, a gang on e-bikes broke into a house and stole a vehicle in the Joppa area of Edinburgh, after threatening several others.
In the early hours of 1 September, a balaclava-clad gang threatened a security guard with hammers and smashed up several cars at Pollock Halls in the south of the capital.
In June, a hit-and-run involving three Surron-style electric motorbikes left a woman in hospital, sparking calls for tougher action on “reckless” e-bike riders in Edinburgh.
