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news
Family cycling at Moors Valley Country Park and Forest (source Facebook page)Cyclist hurt as fishing line stretched across country park bike path near New Forest
People riding their bikes at a country park close to the New Forest are being warned to be alert after a cyclist was hurt by fishing line stretched at head height on a cycle path. A local cycling club is now aiming to raise funds so a reward can be offered to help track down the culprit.
A warning about the find at Moors Valley Country Park, Dorset which is popular with families for its off-road paths and also has more challenging singletrack routes, was posted to its Facebook page by Tanya Hall last week.
She said that her partner had been cycling there on the afternoon of Sunday 10 May when he found “at least 15 strands of fishing line strung between two trees across the cycle path.
“Fortunately for him he saw it, although he hit it, he had managed to slow his speed down so he was not at full pelt. He has ended up with a couple of small cuts.
“If this had been a child, it could have caused all sorts of damage. It has been reported to the Ranger. So take care out there while you are out enjoying the park.”
One of the park’s rangers told the Dorset Echo that the incident had been reported to police and that cycle paths would be monitored for similar traps during the coming weeks.
She added: "We are grateful to all visitors who report any such incidents to us so that we can act as swiftly as possible.
"We sincerely hope this was a one-off incident but we take very seriously any malicious behaviour such as this and will continue to work with the police on this matter."
Test Valley Cycle Club is now appealing for donations through its website to raise a reward for information that helps track down those responsible, saying:
This sort of act is increasing in the UK, with offenders no doubt thinking that they can't be caught. This deliberate attempt to harm a child or adult must be investigated and prosecution brought against those responsible.
In order to encourage people to come forward with evidence, the Test Valley Cycling Club has organised a fund to collect donations to reward anyone providing evidence that leads to a conviction. These will be passed to Dorset Police. In the event that no-one is convicted of this offence, the funds will be donated to Moors Valley Country Park, to enable improvements to the existing trails.
This could be your child, or a friend or relative seriously hurt. We must make a clear and loud statement that this sort of action is a deliberate threat against our children and loved ones, and will not be tolerated. Please donate by clicking on the link below. Debit, credit card or PayPal accepted.
The country park lies within the New Forest, where for several years now there has been a small but vocal element opposed to mass participation cycling events.
At times, that has been accompanied by some acts of sabotage including sprinkling tacks or drawing pins on the road or removing changing direction signs.
Last November, the Department for Transport rejected plans by the New Forest National Park Authority to use £300,000 of government money to help build a cycling centre at Moors Valley, which is jointly operated by the Forestry Commission and East Dorset District Council, but lies some three miles west of the national park itself.
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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19 comments
Bloody Anglers!!! They all need stringing up. It's the only language they understand.
Sitting there every Sunday in their daft camos, nursing their bellies and their piles. Trying to catch a something with a higher IQ than them only to put it back again. At least golf involves some walking. In the olden days they'd have cycled to the pond or river. If they still did this wouldn't happen.
What do you mean kids? It could've have been kids - but egged on by anglers.... Jimmy Savile liked fishing so I rest my case...
As a cyclist, driver, motorcyclist and fisherman I would say that I have seen the worst of people who fall into all 4 categories. And that comment is spiteful as I would never think to do something like that when I have had cyclist damage my fishing equipment because they think I should have moved out of their way but they have been to ignorant to give me a enough warning they where coming. But have had anglers berate me because they have been to ignorant to move Even though I have stopped and carried my bike over their equipment. So they are bad apples in all categories. So in the end if everyone had a bit of curtesy and respect for others than things like this wouldn't happen. No doubt the person/ persons responsible for this should be punished to the fall extent of the law.
Jimmy Saville was a racing cyclist so you are on very dangerous ground with this rather silly generalisation. N.B. I don't like fishing!
This is attempted manslaughter right?
No such thing (pretty much by definition) as attempted manslaughter... If you do this with intent to kill, then that's attempted murder; if you intend to injure rather than kill it's attempted GBH/ABH. Manslaughter is where a death occurs and you are responsible but did not intend to kill or cause grievous harm (actually more complex than that of course, but I think that's the most relevant in this case).
If someone died from an action like this, I'm pretty sure the prosecution would be wanting to get a conviction for murder, as it would seem there is at least an intent to cause grievous harm. If the defence were somehow able to convince that this was just a prank and the defendant really did not intend to cause serious harm then manslaughter would be the fall-back.
If nobody died, the possibility of a conviction for attempted murder is still possible but only if it was proven that the intent was to kill rather than injure. Harder to convict in a case like this but still leaves open the charge of attempted grievous bodily harm, which also carries a potential life sentence.
I guess the distinction between grievous and actual bodily harm would also come into play in any trial, but as a layperson I'd have to say that I think the sort of injuries that this type of thing could cause would fall quite clearly into the grievous side of things. But then again, anyone who reads the stories on this site will know all to well that juries have some form for making stupid decisions about cases involving cyclists so who knows in reality.
Either way, this crime needs to be treated with the same seriousness as someone who (say) drops a lump of conrcete from a motorway bridge or interferes with a railway track. It's a wantonly dangerous act that could easily kill or badly hurt someone. Police should be actively looking at witnessess, CCTV etc. and trying very hard to arrest and convict whoever did it.
This is appalling conduct and exceptionally serious. It's a potential intended GBH or even murder. In that context, there needs to be an appropriate police response to it.
...and to think that the NFNPA wanted to use government money to promote this site for safe cycling!
It is a fine park for cycling, I have been there with my kids when on holiday.
It is great. They should promote this site.
Didn't that odious **** Mathew Parris allegedly advocate doing something vile like this?
This post is operating a 'Pay Per Vent' policy: you only get to rant if you've ponied some dosh into the TVCC Reward Fund - every little bit will help us catch the scroate responsible.
Even a quid or two or five will help build a pile of dosh to encourage these low-lifes to turn on one another like the feral rats they are.
It could be your kid next, in the Midlands or the North or even further into foreign countries.
A stiff reward is the ONLY way we're going to get these people, it should also get media coverage that will hopefully put others off copycat efforts.
Thanks!
The people who do this deserve to be garotted. I hope they catch them and make an example of them.
nothing new, i know of a case 25+ years ago. Not saying it is right, just that nothing really changes.
Hope police do catch the person, but i doubt it.
Nobody's saying it is.
thought i would get it in before someone starts on about how things are getting worse, that this sort of thing didn't happen "back in the day" etc
It is a shit thing to happen, but this is one of many shit things that has been going on for years and the fact it is still happening is the pisser, but it isn't new.
What sort of sad twisted prick do you need to be to do something like this?
Matthew Parris?
http://road.cc/content/news/3069-what%E2%80%99s-smug-and-deserves-be-dec...
Not that I'm implying in any way that Mr Parris is sad, twisted or a prick. I don't need to imply it, he is. Especially notable was his apology, which basically consisted of "I'm sorry that cyclists don't have a sense of humour."
From 2008. Rather old news, isn't it? And he did apologise (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/7168530.stm)
His apology was so understated as to be almost undetectable.
Here he is again, attacking cyclists http://ipayroadtax.com/fairies/matthew-parris-cyclists-pay-no-road-tax/
Some arrogant twits never learn.
Another reason to despair about human beings and our value on this planet now.