They're becoming a common sight whizzing along city streets – but e-scooters are also starting to clog up rivers.

In Lyon, volunteers spent a wet weekend dragging 109 of the hireable mini-vehicles from the bottom of the river Rhône – within a section covering just 300 meters. 

It seems the scooters, having been left on the streets after their hire period is over, are being thrown in for fun. Other cities, from Paris in France to Portland in the US, have suffered the same problem. 

The clean-up in Lyon was led by environmental group Odysseus 3.1, which fears the possibility of pollution from the electric batteries that power the scooters. Having returned the dredged-up vehicles to local providers, the group also appealed for hire companies to rethink their business model – perhaps providing parking lots where unused scooters must be locked.