A Slough boy died after falling off an e-scooter he leased from the council, it has emerged. 

Mason Pitt, aged 18, died at Wexham Park Hospital on June 11, 2022, following an incident riding an orange Neuron e-scooter. 

A Slough Borough Council spokesperson said the authority was fully cooperating with the investigation into Mason’s death. 

Councillor Mohammed Nazir, cabinet member for transport and the local environment, said: “We were shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of an e-scooter rider after an incident in June. 

“Our deepest sympathies and condolences are with the family and friends of the rider.”

A post-mortem carried out following Mason’s death revealed the teenager died of neck trauma following the fall from the Neuron e-scooter. 

Opening an inquest into his death on Wednesday, August 2, senior Berkshire coroner Heidi Connor paid her ‘sincere and heartfelt condolences’ to Mason’s family and friends. 

The inquest was adjourned and a date has not yet been set for when the inquest will resume.

The news emerged as Slough Borough Council announced it was proposing to extend a trial of its Neuron e-scooters, which would mean the devices would be available to lease from the authority for another two years. 

The move has been put forward to help the council ‘get a better understanding of residents' and users’ views on rental e-scooters, as well as the benefits people experience when they use them.’

Senior councillors will decide this November whether to continue with the e-scooter scheme until May 2024 and, if e-scooters are made fully legal by the government, that the scheme is kept permanently. 

The bright orange electric scooters were introduced in the town in October 2020, with operator Neuron Mobility operating 300 dockless e-scooters.

The national e-scooter rental trial scheme began in July 2020 and was set to end this November. It is currently illegal for privately owned e-scooters to be used on public roads and footways.

But since the introduction in Slough, residents have raised serious health and safety concerns and called for SBC to scrap the trial.

Resident Jaspal Dhariwal, who raised a government petition calling for the Department of Transport to revoke the scheme, previously said: “I have health and safety concerns regarding such scooters being illegally ridden on pavements. The Department of Transport initiated this scheme and should revoke its support and ensure any current trials are stopped.”

But SBC and Neuron insisted a “vast majority” of their riders are using the e-scooters in a “safe and responsible manner”.

A survey to gather residents’ and users’ views about the rental trial scheme has been extended until the end of August.

Councillor added: “We’ve heard various opinions from residents during the period the e-scooters have been in Slough. We want to get a better understanding of residents' and users’ views on rental e-scooters, as well as the benefits people experience when they use them.

“We need these views to be made official so they can be taken into consideration for the future of the scheme.”

To help the council and the Government understand the impacts and benefits of e-scooters, please fill in the online survey, which is open until 11.59pm on Wednesday, August 31 2022.

At the end of the trial schemes in May 2024, the Government will decide on whether to fully legalise the use of e-scooters.