A senior judge has called for new laws to protect the public from trendy motorised scooters, called Go-peds, after a landmark case brought by a North-East man.

Lord Justice Pill, sitting at the High Court in London with Mr Justice Bell, said there appeared to be a loophole in the law allowing their uncontrolled use.

But he said the court would need time to consider whether the little runabouts, which are capable of speeds up to 20mph, could be classified as motor vehicles.

Judgment was reserved on a test case challenge by the Chief Constable of North Yorkshire to a decision by Harrogate magistrates last February that Go-peds were not motor vehicles.

The magistrates had cleared scooter rider Michael Saddington, 38, from Middlesbrough, of driving a motor vehicle whilst disqualified and driving without insurance.

Mr Saddington described a "Keystone Cops" scene in which he had been pursued on his scooter in March 1999 by police through Harrogate town centre, with flashing lights and sirens wailing.

Geraldine Kelly, appearing for the police, told the High Court that the status of the scooters, which are powered by a 22.5cc two-stroke direct drive engine, was causing confusion, and clear guidance was being sought from the High Court.

She urged the judges to rule that they should be classified as motor vehicles, in the interests of public safety.

But Richard Reed, for Mr Saddington, said: "This is not a motor vehicle and a clear message needs to be sent out that these are not to be used on the road."

Later, Mr Saddington, said he had borrowed a Go-ped from a member of staff while he was the proprietor at the Ginnel Cafe, at the Corn Exchange building, Harrogate. He said: "I was very stupid to go on the road. It was a spur of the moment thing I now regret."