The issue of children riding their bicycles dangerously along a busy town centre shopping street was raised at Maidstone Town Hall.

Cllr Margaret Rose (Lab) said she was concerned about young cyclists riding at speed through the pedestrianised Week Street, putting themselves and shoppers at risk.

She also said some children had developed the habit of riding their bikes in the bus lanes at the bus station under The Mall shopping centre.

She said: "I was on one bus when the driver had to swerve to avoid hitting a boy on a bike."

Cllr Rose said about 12 boys had been involved, and described their behaviour as "really dangerous".

She asked the chairman of the communities, housing and environment policy advisory committee, Cllr Gordon Newton (Ind), what could be done.

He responded that it was a very sad and serious situation.

The council acted with the Safer Maidstone Partnership, which included Kent Police and One Maidstone, to discourage anti-social behaviour.

However, the problem was that the enforcement powers the council and town ambassadors had could not be applied to minors.

So all that could be done was for officers to challenge the offenders and "educate" them as to the dangers.

For repeat offenders, that would also include speaking to their parents.

E-scooters on the other hand, ridden without insurance, were a different matter.

They could and were seized and confiscated.

Cllr Newton said that the borough would soon be consulting the public on its proposed Public Space Protection Order and if residents were worried about the issue that would be a good opportunity for them to raise their concerns.

At the start of February, KentOnline conducted a survey of shoppers in Week Street to ask what they thought would improve the town centre. Several mentioned the need to clamp down on cyclists and e-scooter riders in the pedestrian areas.

Cllr Rose said afterwards: "This is a serious matter. I suspect the children's parents do not know what their kids are up to."

Arriva said the boys had not caused the firm a big problem. A spokesman said: "Our drivers reported them to security staff who removed them within five minutes of being told."