Hoverboards are ILLEGAL say CPS as they are too dangerous for pavements

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Increasingly popular vehicles feature platform with wheel on each side
CPS says they can only be used on private property for safety reasons
Illegal under 1835 law to ride them on pavement in England and Wales
Stars seen with them include Brooklyn Beckham and Lauren Goodger

Published: 07:42 EST, 12 October 2015 | Updated: 12:09 EST, 12 October 2015

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They are the new favourite toy of the rich and famous, but it seems the likes of Lauren Goodger, Brooklyn Beckham and Rochelle Humes will no longer be able to use one to glide along the street.

That’s because prosecutors have revealed that futuristic 'hoverboards' - also known as self-balancing scooters - are illegal to ride on public roads or pavements in Britain.

The £400 vehicles, which feature a platform with a wheel on each side, can only be used on private property because they are too dangerous to ride in public, the Crown Prosecution Service says.

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On two wheels: Former The Only Way is Essex star Lauren Goodger (left) and The Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes (right) have both been on hoverboards, which are illegal to ride on public roads or paths in Britain

Mode of transport: The scooters, which are also known as ‘swegways’, have become increasingly popular over the past year - especially with the likes of singer Dappy (left) and Brooklyn Beckham (right)

The scooters, which are also known as ‘swegways’, have become increasingly popular with actors and footballers over the past year - with many stars seen riding them both in public and at home.

The CPS guidance was originally issued for Segways, which include a handlebar and are also not permitted on roads - but the Metropolitan Police said last night that it also covers hoverboards.

It is an offence under section 72 of the Highway Act 1835 to ride them on the pavement in England and Wales - and, north of the border, under section 129(5) of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984.

Meanwhile it is also illegal to ride them on a public road because they are not approved by the European or British test schemes for road-legal vehicles.

CPS guidance states: ‘You can only ride an unregistered self-balancing scooter on land which is private property and with the landowner's permission.

Balancing act: Orange Is the New Black actress Ruby Rose (left) and Teen Mom 2 star Jenelle Evans (right) are among fans of the hoverboard in America, where various businesses are making their own versions

'The Department for Transport would advise that appropriate safety clothing should be worn at all times.’

Simon Benson, from hoverboard distributor Ghetto Gadgets, claimed that the legal clarification could boost the vehicles’ profile and lead to them becoming even more popular.

US rapper: Wiz Khalifa was handcuffed by customs officials after refusing to get off his hoverboard

He told The Guardian: ‘If the authorities give any impression that the use of hoverboards in some circumstances is unlawful, then I expect sales to soar.

‘Clearly customers need to take advice, but millennials are not going to take kindly to the authorities using a law that pre-dates the penny-farthing to tell them what they can or can’t do on the streets of Britain.’

The boards are also becoming massively popular in the US, with hundreds of different products now available in response to huge demand following their use by the likes of actor Jamie Foxx and singer Justin Bieber.

American stars such as Kendall Jenner are being sent free samples of the boards by companies scrambling for market share and using celebrity endorsement to raise awareness of their products in a crowded marketplace.

The 19-year-old model posted on Instagram about how she was using the PhunkeeDuck board, and it got more than one million likes - sending demand through the roof.

Rapper Soulja Boy is said to have spent months pestering PhunkeeDuck for their hoverboard - but a couple of days before it eventually arrived, a $1,500 device called the Soulja Board was launched. However, according to Wired, he bizarrely ended up promoting the new Soulja Board while standing on a PhunkeeDuck.

There has also been a dispute between makers of the IO Hawk and PhunkeeDuck hoverboards over who invented the vehicle in the first place.

Last month Wal-Mart announced that it would be stocking the vehicle from November, saying that it expects it to be a big seller for Christmas.

Own one of these or thinking about getting one? They're illegal to ride in public! Info here: http://t.co/We85yLAzsU pic.twitter.com/vMm0hxNAjs
— MPS Specials (@MPSSpecials) October 11, 2015

The law on using hoverboards in the US is not entirely clear, but 45 states are said to permit 'electric personal assistive mobility devices' - including Segways - on public rights of way.

You can only ride an unregistered self-balancing scooter on land which is private property and with the landowner's permission

Crown Prosecution Service

Among the other products companies are using in an attempt to corner the market are the Hovertrax, Cyboard and Future Foot.

The CPS advice comes after a teenager was beaten in the face and robbed by four men for his £300 hoverboard in Enfield, north London - the first case of its kind in the capital.

Police said the 18-year-old victim was riding the hoverboard when a car stopped in front of him and the gang surrounded him, before one of the attackers hit him and stole the vehicle.

US rapper Wiz Khalifa, whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, was handcuffed by customs officials in August after refusing to get off his hoverboard at Los Angeles Airport in California.