Police investigating Saturday’s sabotage attempt at the Wiggle New Forest Spring Sportive are carrying out door-to-door enquiries in their search for the culprit or culprits.
Nails were scattered on the event route where it passed through the village of Bransgore, causing punctures to 15 riders’ bikes, but no injuries, according to the Daily Echo’s Michael Carr.
A rider was reportedly injured last year after sharp objects were scattered on the route of the Wiggle New Forest Spring Sportive. The victim was a local man riding to work, not a sportive particpant, who broke his collarbone after crashing because of a puncture caused by a tack.
It seems police are taking the latest incident very seriously, attempting to trace the saboteurs via house-to-house enquiries.
Bransgore Parish Council chairman Richard Frampton said: “I know there’s been sensitivity over these events, partly because of the numbers, but there’s no excuse for anyone to take the law into their own hands.
“If there are genuine concerns they should go through the proper channels and be looked at in the correct way.”
Cllr Frampton said any genuine arguments against mass cycling events in the Forest were being undermined by people taking illegal action.
A New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) said: “There can be no justification for acts that may cause accident or injury.
“The event was closely monitored and while we’ve heard reports that the behaviour of a minority of cyclists was unsatisfactory, the large majority behaved well and followed the New Forest Cycling Code, which encourages responsible cycling.”
27 thoughts on “Police go door-to-door in hunt for New Forest sportive saboteurs”
Love one reader’s comment on
Love one reader’s comment on the Daily Echo article
It’s not like a 1000 Hells Angels are descending on Lyndhurst and burning it to the ground.
Where is the information
Where is the information about door to door police enquiries coming from? I can’t see any police statements in your story or in the Daily Echo article.
I wonder who they will pin
I wonder who they will pin this on… #o
Leodis wrote:I wonder who
Whoever he or she is. They’ll needle a good lawyer.
I’ll get my coat…..
Bloody Road Tacks
Bloody Road Tacks
We know there’s not a great
We know there’s not a great hope of finding those responsible this time, but good to see the Police making an effort.
Though I suspect they’re more annoyed about someone taking the law (their idea of it…) into their own hands. That will often piss the Police off much more than the specific offence itself.
The Police need to get to the
The Police need to get to the point and use the right tacktics to pin the blame on the offender, after all its a pointless exercise if they dont nail the offenders.
There’ll be hammering the
There’ll be hammering the overtime looking for the nefarious ne’er do wells.
This type of activity is as
This type of activity is as futile as it is dangerous; a rider or perhaps livestock could have been injured. One of the participants or perhaps the event’s organiser ought to contact Mrs. Sevier (she of poster campaign fame) and invite her, as someone concerned with road safety and animal welfare, to use her “good offices” to identify those responsible and condemn such behaviour. If she’s really concerned about the area in which she lives she’ll respond positively, if not…
Did they ever find the idiot
Did they ever find the idiot who sabotaged the Etape Caledonia a few years back? No? Forgive me if I don’t hold my breath.
However. If more is made of the possible injury to dumb animals rather than inconvenience to law-abiding cyclists then there might be a more promising outcome. 👿
levermonkey wrote:Did they
Maybe they have a pretty good idea who it was.
http://road.cc/content/news/4410-solicitor-charged-connection-alleged-etape-caledonia-sabotage
Charges were, however, dropped later on.
Sniffer wrote:levermonkey
Maybe they have a pretty good idea who it was.
http://road.cc/content/news/4410-solicitor-charged-connection-alleged-etape-caledonia-sabotage
Charges were, however, dropped later on.— levermonkey
Maybe they should search his computer to see if he drew up the anti-ride posters put up last week.
jmaccelari wrote:Sniffer
Maybe they have a pretty good idea who it was.
http://road.cc/content/news/4410-solicitor-charged-connection-alleged-etape-caledonia-sabotage
Charges were, however, dropped later on.— Sniffer
Maybe they should search his computer to see if he drew up the anti-ride posters put up last week.— levermonkey
Ann Sevier made it clear to me in her email that she printed them and stuck them to trees. Maybe they should start with her…
:/
At least they’re taking it a
At least they’re taking it a little more seriously than last year…
You know I’m sure that this
You know I’m sure that this will wok, after all it will be really obvious who it was. They’ll open the door in a ‘dath to cyclists’ t-shirt holding a big box of nails labeled – anti-cyclist shrapnel’/ Of course, there won’t be enough evidence to prosecute but they might just get a bit of an earbashing from the terribly annoyed police who will be looking to do whatever they can to protect future events from such wanton acts of stupidity
plod – excuse me sir/madam
plod – excuse me sir/madam but did you put tacks on the road
muppet- yes…..errrr I mean no!!!!
mrchrispy wrote:
plod –
Ah.. how about the undercover approach.
plod – excuse me sir/madam, we’re putting up some posters in the area to warn the public about dangerous cyclists speeding about all over the place like maniacs. Unfortunately, we’ve run out of tacts to pin them up, I don’t suppose you would have bought a box of them recently that we could use?
Quote “Bransgore Parish
Quote “Bransgore Parish Council chairman Richard Frampton said: “I know there’s been sensitivity over these events, partly because of the numbers, but there’s no excuse for anyone to take the law into their own hands.” End Quote
They are not taking the law into their own hands. There is no law against cycling in the New Forest.
They are commiting a criminal offence, putting at risk the lives of members of the public and the wellbeing of livestock.
It was a premeditated act, the only purpose of which was to cause damage to private property in the knowledge that injury might occur.
I would also assume that the perpetrator(s) are not from Bransgore. Unless they really that stupid or arrogant, they probably come from further afield.
“taking the law into their
What – is scattering nails and tacks on road surfaces now police work?
In the past the Police
In the past the Police Federation have vigorously supported cyclists rights ….
Perhaps with Easter weekend
Perhaps with Easter weekend coming up and thousands of cars clogging the New Forest roads we should get out there with some stingers (only kidding). I wonder what the Bransgore locals would make of their roads clogged up with stranded cars waiting for all four wheels to be changed.
But if the fuzz nail the perpertrator maybe they’ll spend some time with the screws.
PR from the police. A
PR from the police. A statement that they are watching. And a notice to some of the local loudmouths to wind their necks in. Also a good opener for a chat when the Chief Constable meets some of the local councillors. It flags up the damage that these acts do to the reputation of the Forest. The message is clear enough to me. The powers that be. The real powers have had enough of the antics of some of these parish councillors.
Being a pedant, using the
Being a pedant, using the term “taking the law into their own hands” implies that these saboteurs were doing something that someone else (like the police) had failed to do – i.e. stop lawbreaking – when in fact it is the exact opposite. The saboteurs are the ones breaking the law by attemptign to cause damage and potential injury to people going about their perfectly legal and legitimate activity.
Having done the Surrey-London100 last year, I can say there were a few protesters out but the vast majority of people were hugely supportive, and it’s probably similar in the New Forest. We shouldn’t let the actions of a tiny minority of small minded, petty NIMBYs get so much exposure or suggest they have any kind of legitimacy.
DNA samples in the village
DNA samples in the village have been taken, it turns out they are all related.
(No subject)
:))
Have the pins from the road
Have the pins from the road been compared to the ones used to pin the posters up? 😕
I did a sportive recently and
I did a sportive recently and there was a lady standing at a junction. As a friend in front shouted “Clear!” she started ranting… “Every weekend!! Riders shouting on this junction EVERY WEEKEND. IT HAS RUINED MY LIFE ~X( ~X( ~X( ”
I wasn’t quite sure what to say so just said “have a great weekend” and carried on.
Not sure what could be done to avoid this? Did make me chuckle though. Rather a lot.