Footage of a cyclist in east London being attacked by a gang of youths and robbed of his bike has been published by the London Evening Standard.
The video of the incident, which happened in Bethnal Green on Friday evening, was shot by a witness to provide evidence to the Metropolitan Police, who have launched a witness appeal.
Around six youths wearing balaclavas and hoods punched and kicked the cyclist in the face during the attack in Ion Square Gardens, off Hackney Road.
They then made off on bicycles, including the one stolen from the victim who suffered bruising but did not need to be treated in hospital.
The witness who filmed the attack, a man named Zed, told the newspaper: “My girlfriend and I were walking home coming from Columbia Road towards Bethnal Green and when passing through Ion Square Gardens we saw a gang of youths with covered faces.
“We heard the victim shouting ‘help, help, I’m being robbed!’ Then my girlfriend quickly called police and I decided to film for police evidence.
“The youths were assaulting him because he didn’t want to give up his bike, I believe it was worth about £1,500, until finally he couldn’t hold on anymore and they escaped with it.”
The victim, who was said to be badly shaken by his ordeal, also had his mobile phone taken from him but it was left, smashed, at the scene.
Local resident Wendy Harding told the Standard: “I heard the victim screaming ‘call the police’. The gang came past my house and I got to the victim about 20 seconds later to try to help him.
“He had a very bad bruised swollen eye. The gang were in their late teens with bandana covering the lower half of their faces and hoods pulled up.”
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “Officers attended and spoke with the victim who had been robbed of his bike by a group of up to six males.
“The victim was assaulted during the course of the robbery. He did not require hospital treatment.
“No arrests have been made. Enquiries are ongoing.”
Anyone with information regarding the incident is requested to contact police on 101.
In May 2015, the Metropolitan Police said that the number of ‘bike-jackings’ – robberies in which a cyclist is intimidated into handing over his or her bike, often accompanied by physical violence – had doubled in the past year and were running at 10 a week.
> London bike-jackings hit 10 a week, say Metropolitan Police
A number of such incidents that we have reported on here on road.cc have taken place in east London, including in locations close to the River Lea such as the Walthamstow Marshes, where there were at least five bikejackings in the month leading up to Easter 2015.
> Police reaction to East London bike-jackings “shockingly poor” says cycling campaigner
25 thoughts on “East London bikejacking captured on film, victim kicked and punched as he was robbed of his bike”
Saw similar last week – 2
Saw similar last week – 2 youths took a guys brompton with mobile etc al in the bar bag…it was on Q2 after London bridge, they had a hammer and one was on a moped….similar in dress too; covered face and hoodies. Brompton was only 1 week old …. Absolute twats – a couple of pcso’s walking down the cycle routes now and again might help.
Unfortuantely if they are on
Unfortuantely if they are on a moped or scooter it won’t make a difference. The police aren’t allowed to put such scroats in danger and those riding mopeds/scooters know to take of their helmets and do other dangerous things to stop the police from chasing them.
Looking forward to my visit
Looking forward to my visit to London for the Ride 100 now. 🙂
I’m trying to sow the seed in
I’m trying to sow the seed in Mrs Srchar’s head that we should move out of London, to somewhere where this sort of shit doesn’t happen, and my 20km commute might include a chance to see a tree or a blade of grass. This unfortunate story formed this evening’s nudge.
I hope they catch the wankers who did this, but don’t hold out much hope. Moped-bound mobile phone thieves have been successfully operating in my local area for years with gay abandon.
Spendy bikes are much easier
Spendy bikes are much easier to hock and in reality not much problem for the thieves to steal over a phone.
Given the ability to immobilise a phone something worth 3-10 times (and more) in resale is more desirable.
SRCHAR, I feel so lucky to live where I do, whilst the std of driving is no worse/better than anywhere else in the UK at least I can leave my bike unlocked at the shops on the edge of town and in the town centre whilst I pop into the bank or wherever.
I live on a former local authority (now HA) ‘Estate’, however at the top of my street the countryside is immediately to hand. I thought about buying on London 20 years ago whilst I was working there and commuted by car every day, financially I would have being far better off however I don’t think my overall well being and std of living would be better, quite the opposite especially as cycling is a massive part of my life and has being for over 30 years.
It’s stuff like this that really makes you think but what are the chances of it happening compared to other crimes?
You still failed to read what
You still failed to read what I said and address that last time I told you. Go back and read what I said about driving and terrorism, ask an adult to simplify what it means if you like because you’re clearly mentally incapable of deciphering basic concepts.
Still waiting on my list of the hundreds of daily motoring journeys on my behalf to exist.
C’mon big mouth, show some spine and answer the question! No you won’t because you’re a spineless gutless coward happy to blame victims and deliberately misread/fail to comprehendfor your sad agenda.
You’re a pitiless specimen for a sentient being!
BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
BikeLikeBike/Willo never reads what other people say. He just posts unsupported and illogical nonsense then he ignores it when people point out that it’s nonsense and moves on to his next bit of drivel (‘bikes have comparable environmental impact to cars’ ‘lack of increase in cyclist numbers outside London somehow discredits cycle infrastructure that only exists in a small part of London’ ‘we’ve been spending money on building cycle infrastructure for 20 years’.. I’m not sure he’s ever posted anything that was actually true)
He’s not here to engage in rational argument, he’s here to work out some personal issue of his own. Which is why all his posts start with a conclusion (cycling is bad, utility-cycling especially so) and he fills in the gap with any old rubbish he can invent.
Great to see young people in
Great to see young people in Britain taking a real interest in cycling.
Tell us, bikelikebike, what
Tell us, bikelikebike, what is yourpurpose here?
All you seem to want to do is have a go at people and pick fights.
As a troll, you’re rather second rate – very transparent.
Does it give you a thrill to be sat anonymously behind your keyboard saying rude things?
Maybe you would share your real name and real interest in cycling, or will you still hide and try to insult all and sundry?
A further question for you:
A further question for you:
What other different names or identities have you used on this site?
BTW the question was what is
BTW the question was what is your purpose, not what is your motivation. I.el what are you trying to achieve, not why are you doing it.
It’s a real shame that I can
It’s a real shame that I can no longer recommend this site to people, especially children/young adults, thinking of taking up cycling and want to read reviews and learn from the experience of other cyclists. Instead they’ll be subjected to written abuse and bullying by people little better than those mugging people on the streets while concealing their identity. They feel entitled to do so as well, the morality of the angry mob.
I’m all for free speech but really some moderation is needed here and some posts removed for the benefit of the site.
theloststarfighter wrote:
Not sure if one person (the suddenly silent bikelikebike) counts as a mob 🙂
DavidJ wrote:
I believe most people feeling entitled or self righteous in their opinion have a mob of voices in their head urging them on like the braying at Parliament.
I just have the one internal voice and if I want a second opinion I’ll ask one of our cats. If he slow blinks back I know I’m right. I think that establishes me as sane and rational and also entitled to voice an opinion on the actions of others. I’m happy not to feel superior, if only that was true of others writing here….
theloststarfighter wrote:
— theloststarfighter
Do tell us, is “Thelost” your given name and is “starfighter” your surname? Just asking 🙂
DavidJ wrote:
I reckon it’s thelo ststarfi ghter
DavidJ wrote:
As you’ll no doubt guess that name was just a fun reference to a film I liked as a kid. I’m not concealing my identity to insult or goad people. I can’t tell you it though as I’m in the witness protection programme.
Regards
Simon Sawyer
I agree lost star, however
I agree lost star, however the cretin bikelike deserves a little grief due to the way he recklessly victim blames which must be highly offensive to those that have lost people.
David, an engaging attempt to understand him, I can help. In all likelihood he’s a pompus little man massively under-achieving in the corcle of life. Any significant others (be they people, animals whatever) are probably verbally or physically abused whilst being told it is there own fault. Either that or he resents his father as he wants relations with his mother, grubby little boy!
My a-level psychology really has come to the fore.
alansmurphy wrote:
Oh I have an image of him* in my head as well. Not sure I was trying to understand him, just chalenge him to act honestly.
Rather telling that he has gone silent.
*him or her
@AlanSMurphy – I reckon the
@AlanSMurphy – I reckon the best way of dealing with BikeLikeBike is to just ignore him.
His pattern of arguing seems to be just to evoke a response rather than actually arguing a point. When people pin down part of his argument and provide facts to prove it, he just ignores it and concentrates on some other facet.
Some trolls can be reasoned with – they’re what I think of as accidental trolls. They’ve formed an unusual opinion and then angrily argue it. BikeLikeBike forms his opinions just to provoke arguments – you can see it from his choice of words and unnecessary, incendiary additions to his posts (generally involving violence against cyclists).
Jeez, a serious need for
Jeez, a serious need for chill pills to be taken, as my old boss used to say.
Anyway, back in the real world, the issue over youths on scooters is a problem. Round my way they tear through the local estates with no helmets and missing number plates, so you can bet a lot of the scotters are nicked. The police could do more to stop them as there are only so many routes out of the estates.
I cross this park twice a day
I cross this park twice a day on my bike and can’t say i’m surprised. the whole area is packed with kids like these selling drugs. I’ve only seen the police take them away once and they were back in a couple of days. Btw, in one year these kids have gone from riding bikes to mopeds and now VW Golfs and Jaguars. Police still doing absolutely nothing.
So. No answer and same old
So. No answer and same old denial and bluster with added sneery patronising. Hmm, it seems that you are afraid to be honest about yourself.
So is the Freud theory strong
So is the Freud theory strong in you?
Just don’t read him.
Just don’t read him.