Lembit Opik rides to the rescue as Barnsley man prosecuted for riding electric scooter on the pavement

Mr Opik arrived on his own scooter to stand by Phillip Coates as he appeared in front of magistrates for riding just such a contraption.

Mr Coates pleaded not guilty at Barnsley Magistrates Court to a charge of driving a motor vehicle on the pavement.

Speaking after the short hearing, Mr Opik said he had pointedly ridden his scooter on both the pavement and the road to put himself in a position to take the "legal heat" - but nothing had been done.

The scooters are popular in America and Mr Coates, 51, bought one for 5,000 after seeing them on holiday in Florida.

The former factory worker used it for getting to work, making trips into town and even letting his 86-year-old mother have a go.

The electric-powered Segways are a low energy form of transport and produce no emissions. Campaigners have been trying to have the law amended so they can be used on pavements and footpaths.

Mr Opik, who lost his Lib Dem seat at Westminster in May, believes the whole situation is absolutely ridiculous.

He said: "I have travelled up from London for this because I feel that strongly about it as a test case and will be supporting Phillip all the way.

"I have openly been riding my Segway on the pavement and the roads, having alerted media to that fact, and nothing was done.

"I put myself in the line of legal fire, I'm almost jealous of Phillip, though it seems an odd thing to be jealous about.

"This was just a normal man using the cheapest form of transport he had to get around," he said.

He added: "I should really just use it on the pavement but that seems to be rubbing it in a bit."

A Segway campaigner for two-and-a-half years, he said the scooters have a top speed of 12mph and a button that limits them to 5mph on pavements.

"They are a mode of transport for those who might not be able to get out, they are cheap to run and they are clean. They are no different from mobility scooters and should not be classed as a motor vehicle," he said.

Before scooting off Lembit shouted "free the Segway one".

Speaking after the hearing, which was adjourned for legal arguments, Mr Coates said: "The whole thing is ridiculous, they are allowed in nearly every other European country but here. Now my Segway is just gathering dust."

A CPS spokesman said previously: "A Segway is classed as a motor vehicle by the Department of Transport which means it cannot legally be driven on a footpath.

"South Yorkshire Police have charged a man with driving a motor vehicle on the pavement and the file has been passed to us to prosecute in court."