Negotiations between Lime and the council are ongoing a day before the firm's e-bikes could be banned from Brent’s streets.

Brent Council has told Lime that it must remove its dockless bikes by tomorrow (October 31) if it continues to ignore safety concerns regarding poorly parked and abandoned bikes.

Earlier this month, the electric bike hire operator said that it will work with the council to fund and install an initial 200 parking bays by next July in a bid to fend off a ban.

Lime has described the plan as “an important step” in implementing a wider mandatory parking network in the capital.

The breakthrough came after a series of meetings with the local authority, but it is understood that negotiations between the two parties remain ongoing.

Brent Council leader Cllr Muhammed Butt has said he is pleased that the operator has "conceded that mandatory parking in designated bays is both possible and preferential”.

But he added: “Whatever comes next, it is clear Lime has a long road to travel to regain the trust of our residents.”

Cllr Butt also called on Lime to address the “relative ease” with which their bikes can be “tampered with and ridden dangerously”.

He has previously said that the council decided to threaten a ban after receiving “repeated, regular complaints” about bikes being left strewn across paths and roads.

This is despite the fact Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosures by the council suggest that fewer than 60 reports about the bikes had been made through its complaints system since the start of last year.

Brent has said the figures “mask the full extent” of the issues Lime bikes cause, as complaints are often received through other channels.

Reports not included in the data include those raised directly with Lime, as well as with the council by phone, social media and emails to individual councillors and officers, the authority said.

A Lime spokesperson said: "Brent is an important partner for Lime and we are committed to working with them to get this right.

“We need to create dedicated parking spaces across London as shared e-bikes are fundamental in helping meet ambitious active travel targets across the city."