The organiser of one of the UK’s biggest cycling events has appealed for witnesses after he was threatened with assault by a vehicle occupant while on a bike ride on Bank Holiday Monday.
Peter Harrison organises the Cyclone Festival of Cycling, based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and which takes place over a weekend each June with family and sportive rides as well as men’s and women’s professional races.
Writing on Facebook this morning, he said that the “traumatic” incident had left him “in a deep sense of delayed shock.”
He asked “any of my local cycling friends who saw me sitting at the side of Kingston Park Road at approximately 10am yesterday to relay the fact to Wayne.Brewis.3315@northumbria.pnn.police.uk.”
Recounting the incident, he said: “The passenger in a car got out and very forcibly threatened to assault me and am sure he would have done so if there was no one else around.
“I called 999 and to their credit the police did come and see me and I tried to put it to the back of my mind.
“Sadly this is not the case and I just hope that Northumbria Police pursue it further and possibly my friends at BBC NE may also want to pick up the cudgels on my behalf after all of the adverse publicity towards cyclists in the last few days.
“Having been attacked by a motorist a few years ago which resulted in a broken pelvis and being a pensioner of advancing years, I have no real desire to be confronted by a thug such as the one today,” he added.
He subsequently told road.cc that the car has been identified by police and he is waiting to hear back from officers.
13 thoughts on “Cycling festival organiser appeals after vehicle passenger threatens him with assault”
What the actual fuck is wrong
What the actual fuck is wrong with some people?
Not nice. But maybe he will
Not nice. But maybe he will buy a £30 camera now.Film the scum and his car in future. Then he won’t need to appeal for witnesses if something happens like this again.
Unfortunately even with a
Unfortunately even with a camera the Police still wont prosecute, but they will bring people to court for stealing items worth a few quid. Visit the local magistrates court and you will see what I mean. They have the resources but as one Police force told me, unless you are hurt we won’t investigate!!!!!!
wknight wrote:
They will certainly take threats of violence seriously, and I speak from experience, and anyway, the police don’t prosecute, the CPS does.
burtthebike wrote:
FIFY
My new bike has panniers, I
My new bike has panniers, I think I’ll start packing a crowbar for self-defence purposes
kil0ran wrote:
I think what you meant to say was that it was a newish crowbar which you were transporting to/from work for the purpose for which it was intended. However, when (scumbag) approached you you were in a state of fear and reached for the first thing that came to hand, m’lud.
Fixed that for you 😉
brooksby wrote:
I think what you meant to say was that it was a newish crowbar which you were transporting to/from work for the purpose for which it was intended. However, when (scumbag) approached you you were in a state of fear and reached for the first thing that came to hand, m’lud.
Fixed that for you 😉— kil0ran
I am a keen golfer officer, and I carry this 6 iron about in case I fancy a little practice when I stop at the cafe, see I also have a pair of balls. 🙂
u locks in hand when having
u locks in hand when having tasty convos with bell end car drivers. always makes them think twice.
When I was a student at
When I was a student at Newcastle University 30 years ago, racing for Newcastle Cheviot CC, Peter was a stalwart of the North East cycling community,organising races, marshalling, and just doing cycling stuff. He’s been doing the same ever since, organising the Cyclone Festival for many years. I know how hard Peter worked to get mobile, and back on his bike, following his broken pelvis. So sad that a guy of Peter’s age, who’s done so much for cycling, can’t go out on his bike without being threatened like this. Keep your chin up Peter. The last time I spoke to you, you were complaining about the students turning up mid-winter on a saturday morning for the Gosforth RC club run, wearing shorts and t-shirts. You had given them your usual – not so subtle – words of advice. I remember you being similarly blunt with me 30 years ago!
These anti-bike pricks are so
These anti-bike pricks are so stupid I’m concerned they’d assault my wife if they discovered she has a menstrual cycle.
Yeah good luck with that, I
Yeah good luck with that, I nearly got run over at the Sainsbury’s roundabout then was struck by the same car turing right inside the Sainsburys car park as at this point were side by side, when I angrily confronted the driver about hitting me with his car he got out grabbed my bike and I was assaulted as I tried to take my bike back of the guy.
Devon & Cornwall police? Didn’t even visit, didn’t even approach the driver, I basically got a telephone call from a PC saying they simply weren’t going to investigate it.
SingleSpeed wrote:
They would have BEEN OBLIGED to investigate if you had had video footage of an assault.
If more (all) cyclists used cameras these tw*ts would eventually get the message that it’s not ok to behave in this way. My own use of a camera has proved invaluable on several such occasions now and the police have had no choice but to take action on my part.