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Cyclists ambushed by youths on Bristol & Bath Railway Path

Gang's behaviour suggests that they may have been looking to steal bikes to order...

A Bristol woman has described how she and her friends were ambushed by a group of youths while riding on one of Britain’s most popular dedicated cycling facilities, the Bristol & Bath Railway Path.

The incident happened on the morning of Saturday 20 May near the Staple Hill Tunnel in east Bristol, reports the Bristol Post.

It is believed that the group of youths may have been loitering by the path in an attempt to steal a bike to order.

Susanne Gordon, 36, told the newspaper: “We were just cycling back from Saltford – coming out of the tunnel there at the Bristol end.

“There were three youths standing at the end of the tunnel checking out bikes.

“One was 11 or 12 and one was 16, he looked like his older brother - both were white.

“The third one was oldest, he was black or mixed race with an afro. He was running the show.”

She continued: “On the approach I could see them – I’m a teacher and I have a radar for when young people aren’t up to much good.

“They were staring intently at the bikes as they went past."

She decided to address one of the group as she rode past to hide the intimidation she felt

“I looked right at [the] oldest one and said, ‘Good morning’.

“He said, ‘Nah, it’s not a Whyte’,” which made her believe the youths were looking to steal bikes to order.

However, she explained that the situation then escalated.

“He took offence at the eye contact and saying hello, he didn’t like it.”

Ms Gordon and her friends stopped further along her path to call police on 101 to flag up the youths’ suspicious behaviour.

“Then we noticed the three kids cycling towards us,” she continued. “They cycled past us and the oldest one spat in the direction of a woman in our group.”

Deciding that the sensible thing to do was to get away from the youths, Ms Gordon and her friends rode off, only to discover them lying in wait further ahead.

Suzanne and her friends decided it was best to get out of the area so they stopped calling 101 and cycled on.

But the gang had laid an ambush further up the path, presumably using nearby roads to get ahead of them.

She said: “As we cycled on we saw the oldest one had put his bike across the left hand side of the cycle path.

“The other two had abandoned their bikes and jumped into the trees on the hand side of the path.

“As we cycled past we managed to get around the kid who was on his bike. Then he shouted ‘get her!’ – he was talking about me.”

At that point, she said the other two ran out from the trees and attempted to grab her.

“The youngest one was the closest to me but he was a bit half-hearted and he didn’t catch us,” she explained. “His hesitation is what saved us.”

After that escape, she and her friends rode to a nearby Morrisons supermarket, where they called 999.

“I was quite lucky for it not to have become something more serious,” Ms Gordon reflected.

“I knew what was going on but I didn’t realise the potential for injury or losing my bike. I wasn’t thinking much.”

She added: “It was the brazenness, I was amazed at the brazenness of it.

“It was 11:45 in the morning with lots of people around – broad daylight."

An Avon and Somerset Constabulary spokesman said: "We were called to the Bristol to Bath Cycle Path near Acacia Road, at around midday, on May 20 to reports of a group of teenage boys intimidating and harassing a group of cyclists using the path.

"We attended the area after the call to search for anyone matching the descriptions given, but no one was found.

"One of the youths was described as a white teenage boy, aged around 13, 5ft 2ins tall, with blonde hair, wearing a red and black top with jeans.

"Another was described as a teenage boy, of mixed race appearance, aged around 16, around 5ft 7ins and wearing a grey hoodie.

"If you have any information or concerns please call 101 and ask to speak to the local beat team in the area where you live.

"Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

"They never ask for your details or trace your call."

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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13 comments

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 6 years ago
1 like

It's such a shame that the police aren't able to use any of the numerous CCTV cameras to crackdown on these kinds of incidents.

Avatar
Bob Wheeler CX | 6 years ago
2 likes

shithole britain strikes again then

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brooksby | 6 years ago
2 likes

@wellsprop: problem is, for any actual enforcement of the law you need police. And there aren't any, because they're expensive. Austerity, innit...

Avatar
Canyon48 replied to brooksby | 6 years ago
0 likes

brooksby wrote:

@wellsprop: problem is, for any actual enforcement of the law you need police. And there aren't any, because they're expensive. Austerity, innit...

Pretty much sums it up I guess. I'd love to see LOADS more traffic police around on my commute (regardless of if I drive or cycle in) there are idiots everywhere, speeding, texting, overtaking illegally, ignoring traffic signs etc.

It's particularly bad in the countryside, lots of people driving drunk from the pubs. Uninsured drivers, cars without MOT's, cars which clearly aren't road legal etc etc.

Yay.

Avatar
Stef Marazzi | 6 years ago
5 likes

That's rubbish isn't it. I've ridden the B2B path for years. Have experienced Motorbikes ridden on it with several teenagers on board, Mopeds set on fire, SBL and Mango schoolkids throwing rocks, loads of Hoodies riding with no lights in the pitch black. Loads of chav cyclists smoking ganja on it. Now the Yobikes are getting trashed on it too. Definitely could do with a few police patrols.

Avatar
amazon22 | 6 years ago
1 like

Half term innit - what else are they expected to do?

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Canyon48 | 6 years ago
4 likes

Funny this.

I read this article on my lunch break today.

I cycled home from work today (I work in Bristol and live in a village outside of Bristol), from industrial estate past the housing estates and three teenage girls are stood in the road between parked cars, blocking my path.

I slowed, they lobbed cans and stones at me, one of them grabbed me, the other two grabbed my bike (with me still on it). I pushed them off and just stood there looking at them as if to say "WTF?".

They then began screaming "pedophile, he tried to rape me" (which, one imagines is very hard to do in bib shorts - I mean, going to relieve yourself on a long ride is difficult enough with bib shorts, let alone anything else).

I cycled off and they continued running in and out the road in front of all the vans (industrial traffic mostly) and throwing stones at the vehicles.

Welcome to Bristol, the UK's cycling city.

 

 

Avatar
50kcommute | 6 years ago
2 likes

Just waiting for a video of old beardy face to make an appearance telling her not to ride on the cycleways if she's scared!

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handlebarcam | 6 years ago
2 likes

Quote:

Gang's behaviour suggests that they may have been looking to steal bikes to order...

An alternative explanation is that a massive black monolith has appeared nearby, and some of this gang have touched it, thus accelerating their evolution to the point where they can recognise what a bicycle is.

Avatar
StraelGuy | 6 years ago
3 likes

Nothing putting a few bricks in the little gits pockets and chucking them in the nearest river wouldn't cure.

Avatar
ChrisB200SX replied to StraelGuy | 6 years ago
1 like

guyrwood wrote:

Nothing putting a few bricks in the little gits pockets and chucking them in the nearest river wouldn't cure.

Bit harsh?
I like to hope that they pick on someone highly trained in martial arts who decks the lot of them then rides off with their bikes... or throws them in the river/canal (the bikes that is).

Avatar
StuInNorway replied to ChrisB200SX | 6 years ago
2 likes

ChrisB200SX wrote:

guyrwood wrote:

Nothing putting a few bricks in the little gits pockets and chucking them in the nearest river wouldn't cure.

Bit harsh?
 

 

Absolutely too harsh,what have the bricks done to deserve drowning. Anyway bits of old stone are cheaper...
Maybe the local constabulary should send an officer or 3 down there on bikes now and again as that's probably the best way to spot them again....

 

Avatar
Yorkshire wallet replied to ChrisB200SX | 6 years ago
2 likes
ChrisB200SX wrote:

guyrwood wrote:

Nothing putting a few bricks in the little gits pockets and chucking them in the nearest river wouldn't cure.

Bit harsh?
I like to hope that they pick on someone highly trained in martial arts who decks the lot of them then rides off with their bikes... or throws them in the river/canal (the bikes that is).

Will somebody please think of the ducks!

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