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An eye-catching Tesla Cybertruck has been seized by the police after being spotted in Bury on Thursday night.

Greater Manchester Police’s Transport Unit shared a photo of the striking vehicle, which weighs more than three tonnes, outside of a Morrison’s in the town, with police cars flanking it in the background.

The force said on social media that the driver was a permanent UK resident but the vehicle was registered and insured abroad.

Tesla Cybertrucks are not road legal in the UK due to safety concerns and have yet to pass the country’s road safety tests.

GMP said on social media: “The Tesla Cybertruck is not road legal in the UK and does not hold a certificate of conformity.”

“Whilst this may seem trivial to some, legitimate concerns exist around the safety of other road users or pedestrians if they were involved in a collision with a Cybertruck”, they continued.

The driver was reported and their vehicle was seized under S165 of the Road Traffic Act.

GMP told The Independent that the vehicle has been referred to Operation Wolverine which deals with seizures.

“The owner will have to prove ownership and correct insurance prior to release which he will likely struggle with,” a spokesperson said. “Unfortunately, we can’t say what will happen to the vehicle until that has happened.”

The Cybertruck was first launched in 2019, made of stainless steel and aluminium. According to the website it has an “ultra-hard” stainless steel exoskeleton to “reduce dents, damage and long-term corrosion”, with Armor Glass that “can resist the impact of a baseball at 70 miles per hour”. It’s also fitted with acoustic glass that “helps make the cabin as quiet as outer space.”

Tesla was forced to recall its Cybertrucks, which can cost a hefty £61,084.16 ($74,490), seven times since its launch in 2023.

In December, they recalled nearly 700,000 vehicles due an issue with the vehicle’s tire pressure monitoring system, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In April, thousands of its Cybertrucks were recalled due to issues with the accelerator pedal in April 2024.

The US Department of Transport wrote that “a trapped accelerator pedal can cause the vehicle to accelerate unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash” in the recall notification.

Tesla agreed to fix the problem free of charge, according to its filing.

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