Police seek pedestrian who tried to destroy bicycle that came too close

Police are seeking a pedestrian who tried to destroy a man’s bicycle after a collision in Northampton.

The cyclist on Gladstone road rode up a dropped curb near to two men on Tuesday morning when one of the men stepped backwards, causing the cyclist to fall off.

The pedestrian then repeatedly kicked the bike, causing it to have ‘extensive damage’, according to the police.

The offender was of mixed race, aged between 18 and 23, around 6ft 1in and of slim build. He was wearing a grey tracksuit top and blue and grey baseball cap. He had a black goatee beard.

Police are investigating the incident, which happened around 10.30am, as criminal damage.

Witnesses or anyone with information about this incident can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Last summer we wrote about a similar incident in which a man who attacked a cyclist with a metal bar in Croydon as he stopped at a zebra crossing.

The motorist, thought to be in his mid-20s, launched an attack on Matthew Ballard, along with a tirade of verbal abuse, when the cyclist stopped to let someone cross the road.

Mr Ballard said the driver "could have killed him" with the pole, which he swung out of the window of a Vauxhall Astra as he drove past. Ballard said the argument, which took place at about 8.15pm on Addiscombe Road, Croydon, started when he confronted the man for driving too close to him.

He said: "I was slowing down at the time because there was someone wanting to cross the zebra crossing. So I turned around and said, 'What are you doing mate?'

"The person crossed the zebra crossing, I went forward and he's come speeding in front of me trying to push me off my bike. I'm saying, 'What the hell are you doing?' and he's mouthing off, swearing."

The driver then produced a yellow bar, thought to be a steering wheel lock, and threatened Mr Ballard with it.

The cyclist said: "I tell him to do one and cycle off, he's let me go and as he's driving past flung his arm out the window with the metal pole and smashed me right in the head.

"Luckily I managed to stay on my bike but he could have knocked me unconscious. He could have killed me. He could have hit me in the wrong place, the temple or whatever, and killed me with a metal pole.

"It's left a massive lump and a little gash. It was painful. Unfortunately I wasn't wearing a helmet that night, I was just wearing a baseball cap."

The attacker then drove off at speed, while Mr Ballard, who suffered swelling and cuts to his head, went to a local gym to call for police. He was taken home by officers after paramedics failed to arrive.