Car wing mirrors studded with spikes reported to Greater Manchester Police

A cyclist who discovered wing mirrors on three vehicles studded with spikes has reported the improvised modifications to Greater Manchester Police.

* 2/12/2021: A man who claims to own the vehicle pictured has now spoken to defend his actions - read the updated story here

Twitter user @OneAdultSwim1 posted about the improvised modifications on Sunday, saying that there “Seems to be a growing trend in my area of adding crude spikes to the passenger side wing mirror … usually in the form of large screws through the mirror casing.

“Spotted one, and another and a third today all on different vehicles. I'm going to get a picture next time. Be warned.”

Revisited and heres what it looks like. A crude repair? Strange that I've seem 2 other vehicles with this "repair" in my area recently. Disguised as a repair. in the realms of conspiracy now.

What do you think? https://t.co/l8NXSRlZeA pic.twitter.com/ytg53gPEzs

— OneAdultSwim (@OneAdultSwim1) November 29, 2021

Tweeting a picture yesterday evening of one of the vehicles, which carries the livery of a painting and decorating firm, he added: “Revisited and here’s what it looks like.

“A crude repair? Strange that I've seen two other vehicles with this ‘repair’ in my area recently. Disguised as a repair. In the realms of conspiracy now.”

He told road.cc: “Last week I've seen three vehicles with this modification. The first two I saw were in the same line of traffic a few cars apart on Station Road in Cheadle, in the middle of last week.

“They were both rugged-looking vehicles with intermediate off-road tyres and air intake rams, rumbling down the small high street here.

“However the image I posted is on the side of liveried van (painter and decorator) which is also in the Cheadle area, I noticed this on Sunday, went past again yesterday and gave them a close-up inspection, just to check they weren’t rubber or anything.”

A number of Twitter users urged @OneAdultSwim1 to report what he had found to the police, which he did this morning on the non-emergency number 101 to what he described as “a very sceptical call handler.”

Definate dangerous condition requires prosecution and prohibition, please get registrations and inform the police via 101, website chat or crimestoppers 👍

— Mark Hodson (@markandcharlie) November 29, 2021

In fact, if I were you, I'd not report that online - I'd call 101 or 999 right now and get it sorted (one way or the other...) tonight - that's a clear and imminent danger.

— Heavy Metal Handcyclist (@CrippledCyclist) November 29, 2021

He continued: “I was reluctant to post as might give others ideas, but decided to post in the end after consideration.

“I also asked during the call if there was any way I could pass on the images but they don’t have that facility. The report was made about 08:30 and the lady said she would ‘pass it on’.”

We have approached Greater Manchester Police for a comment, and will update this story once we receive it.

In the meantime, the Surrey Police Roads Policing Unit did comment on the tweet, saying there was an arrestable offence for possession of “an offensive weapon.”

Wouldn’t call it a field day tbh, just an arrest for an offensive weapon.

— Roads Policing Unit (RPU) - Surrey Police - UK (@SurreyRoadCops) November 30, 2021