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Suffolk cyclists warned to be on guard after wire found stretched across bike path

Booby-trap discovered on Sunday evening and follows similar incidents around the UK

Police in Suffolk have warned cyclists and pedestrians to be on their guard after wire was found stretched across a cycle path at head height.

The wire was found by a member of the public at Mead Drive, Kesgrave, just to the east of Ipswich, on the evening of Sunday 15 March at around 8.30pm, say police, and two other pieces of wire were subsequently found.

PC Simon Mortimer of the Kesgrave and District Safer Neighbourhood Team said: “This is an extremely dangerous and irresponsible thing to do, stretching wire across the paths at head height could cause serious injury to cyclists and pedestrians.

"We are appealing for anyone who has information about this mindless act to contact us to prevent further incidents and someone being injured.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kesgrave and District Safer Neighbourhood Team on 101 quoting reference WO/15/472, or the charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Sadly, wire being strung across a cycle path is a relatively common occurrence, and we have reported on a number of such incidents in the past.

In 2011 a cyclist on the Bristol & Bath Railway Path was left unconscious and had his bike stolen when he crashed due to a clothes line being strung across the route, the busiest off-road cycle path in Britain.

In late 2013, a cyclist in Edinburgh was left “bleeding and dazed” when he came off his bike due to a clothes line placed across the city’s Roseburn path at head height.

A second cyclist narrowly avoided been brought down by a similar trap nearby, which was placed lower, with her boyfriend saying that the perpetrators had carried out “the equivalent of attempted murder.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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29 comments

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Matt eaton | 9 years ago
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The more these stories crop up the more I'm inclined to take my chances on the roads.

We need a more joined-up structure of infrastructure design, lawmaking and law enforcement. There's no point creating routes 'safe' from motor traffic if they are not kept free of criminal behaviour such as this.

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a.jumper replied to Matt eaton | 9 years ago
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Matt eaton wrote:

The more these stories crop up the more I'm inclined to take my chances on the roads.

Sure, then they can attack you with a motor vehicle instead, say the sun was in their eyes and get off scot-free. At least if they attack you with wire on a cycle track and get caught, they don't get off.

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Matt eaton replied to a.jumper | 9 years ago
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a.jumper wrote:
Matt eaton wrote:

The more these stories crop up the more I'm inclined to take my chances on the roads.

Sure, then they can attack you with a motor vehicle instead, say the sun was in their eyes and get off scot-free. At least if they attack you with wire on a cycle track and get caught, they don't get off.

I don't disagree with you completely but at least on the roads there's some chance of there being a witness or somebody to help you after an incident. Being taken out on a dark, deserted cycle track (that's where these things happen, not on well lit and heavily trafficked paths) is a pretty scary prospect. Obviously the same applies to some roads and I feel somewhat inclined to more major routes at certain times for this reason too.

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IanW1968 | 9 years ago
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Anyway back in the real world....  7

I use this cycle path most days as do thousands (that's no exageration) of school children going to any of the three primary schools and one very large high school. It's also very popular with staff who work at the close by BT research and development centre or its many off shoot businesses.

It's a good area and I would say the majority of people cycle in some way and as such there's very little animosity to people on bikes. The excellent cycling infrastructure may even be why they moved to the area.

This wire was found on one of the minor feeder paths that lead onto the main cycle path(which is actually part of NCN1).

Locally the police have put the message out that "those" responsible have be apprehended.

Tonight the cycle paths and roads were teeming with cyclists as usual and there's no big drama, I suspect it was just someone being a dick.

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crikey | 9 years ago
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Ah, another angry bell-end, just what we need...

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ianrobo | 9 years ago
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we love to hate, look at when propaganda works it is all about hate ...

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spen | 9 years ago
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"I think the police should make it very loud and clear that anyone found doing this will be liable to a charge of attempted murder. There can't be a person in the land who doesn't know just how lethal this practice can be." - except for our law makers.

"162 Penalty for placing rope, etc. across highway.

A person who for any purpose places any rope, wire or other apparatus across a highway in such a manner as to be likely to cause danger to persons using the highway is, unless he proves that he had taken all necessary means to give adequate warning of the danger, guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding [F416level 3 on the standard scale]. " (Highways act 1980)

A fine under scale 3 is a maximum of £1000!  102

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Dr_Lex | 9 years ago
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I'm slightly disappointed that his flouncing exit didn't last that long. Freedom for Tooting, anyone?

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crikey | 9 years ago
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Quote:

And we - as a 'class' - are not yet angry enough to do something about it.

For goodness sake, have a word with yourself.

'We' are not a 'class', we are people who happen to ride bikes, and our latent anger is not an untapped resource, it's largely a figment of your over-active imagination.

Take that Che Guevara poster down and have a pint.

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ridein | 9 years ago
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What is wrong with people?

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Rich71 replied to ridein | 9 years ago
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ridein wrote:

What is wrong with people?

People are fucked,look beneath the thin veneer of this so called civilisation and you will quickly realise humans are the cockroaches of the Earth,just a filthy disgusting virus destroying all other life including ourselves
Fuck people

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paulrbarnard replied to Rich71 | 9 years ago
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Rich71 wrote:
ridein wrote:

What is wrong with people?

People are fucked,look beneath the thin veneer of this so called civilisation and you will quickly realise humans are the cockroaches of the Earth,just a filthy disgusting virus destroying all other life including ourselves
Fuck people

Tend to agree but unfortunately your last sentiment only leads to more humans on the planet. Perhaps you meant Don't fuck people...

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mrmo | 9 years ago
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Nothing new, I can remember someone at school hitting a wire at neck height 25years ago.

Not saying it Is right, and he police should follow up it up, just pointing out things aren't really getting worse, they have always been crap.

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crikey | 9 years ago
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Loving the sad-faced policeman picture, and the gloves in case he catches the thievery disease...

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richiewormiling | 9 years ago
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richiewormiling | 9 years ago
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sick. There was something like this recently in New Brighton, they were caught. I need to check as they probably got a ticking off.

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Sedgepeat | 9 years ago
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Cyclists should never be deterred from using cycle paths but please cycle carefully on them to give a better chance of avoiding anything like this. It's a horrible act and a rotten situation.

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Sedgepeat | 9 years ago
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This is sheer lunacy and attempted murder if caught. These people must be caught and jailed for a long time.

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Sedgepeat | 9 years ago
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This is sheer lunacy and attempted murder if caught. These people must be caught and jailed for a long time.

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bikeandy61 | 9 years ago
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How on earth is a warning to the public of any use? For pedestrians at least their speed would probably result in minor injury and shock, but for runners and cyclists the results are open ended and once travelling at anything above about 6mph the chances of spotting the trap are close to zero. The police should be warning perpetrators that thorough investigation will take place and pursued with the intention to apply the maximum charge possible. Serious Bodily Harm as a minimum.

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andyp replied to bikeandy61 | 9 years ago
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bikeandy61 wrote:

How on earth is a warning to the public of any use?

You're right. Don't say anything and just let people get on with hurting themselves.

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redmeat replied to bikeandy61 | 9 years ago
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bikeandy61 wrote:

How on earth is a warning to the public of any use?

Idiot comment of the day.

I sometimes ride this exact stretch of road. Now I won't.

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paulrbarnard replied to redmeat | 9 years ago
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redmeat wrote:
bikeandy61 wrote:

How on earth is a warning to the public of any use?

Idiot comment of the day.

I sometimes ride this exact stretch of road. Now I won't.

Perhaps that was their intent...

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stuartforrest | 9 years ago
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That's absolutely terrifying.

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Colin Peyresourde | 9 years ago
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Frankly, it just doesn't surprise me. I'm waiting for the day it happens on my ride to work.

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Argos74 | 9 years ago
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Thankfully, this is freakishly rare, and almost never happens.

Five minutes on google. Probably a lot more out there. Attempted murder might be legally tenuous, but what the hell.

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PonteD | 9 years ago
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A friend fell foul of this a some years ago, he was lucky and just lost a tooth, a few inches lower and it could have been a lot worse.

Sickens me there are people out there who think this is in any way acceptable.

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choddo | 9 years ago
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It's just depressing that there are subhuman scum around who would actually do this.

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Peowpeowpeowlasers | 9 years ago
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I think the police should make it very loud and clear that anyone found doing this will be liable to a charge of attempted murder. There can't be a person in the land who doesn't know just how lethal this practice can be.

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