LOFTY the Lion and Bolton Wanderers captain Mike Whitlow are in on a new craze -- electric scooters.

Street Scooter Ltd -- a subsidiary of Power Controllers Ltd in Swinton -- is donating a South Beach micro scooter as second prize in the Wanderers' Golden Gamble half-time draws this season.

Managing Director Rhys Davies believes this gesture will be an effective promotion for the venture.

Mr Davies, aged 29, a former Canon Slade pupil who lives in Horwich, established Power Controllers with his father eight years ago to deal in electric vehicles, mainly fork-lift trucks.

Street Scooter Ltd, based on the Oakhill Trading Estate at Walkden, has since worked on the development of 11 different types of electric scooters and bikes, plus four models of 50cc moped.

The scooters have a battery under the board, are operated with a twist grip, and have boomed over the last two years in Japan, Australia and America.

"It's a fun item," said Mr Davies. "It's like a skateboard. Just a toy."

He said they were selling to teenagers and young adults and would no doubt continue to do so at Christmas.

One line is a Bolton Wanderers mini scooter available in blue, red and yellow. These, together with a BWFC 50cc moped, will be available shortly in the Wanderers club shop.

Other markets include leisure parks and large industrial concerns, such as airports and warehousing, where large distances have to be travelled indoors.

Mr Davies said Street Scooter aimed to get more electric-powered vehicles on the road legally. "We have such a model ready to do this job, but there is no law that relates to them specifically," he said.

But the government, disappointingly, had no plans to introduce legislation to cover electric-powered scooters.

"It is pricing us off the road with its taxation policy on petrol, but offering no realistic alternative," he said.