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“This is why we run cameras”: Cyclists share horrifying stories of assault after rider pushed off bike by man in passing van, as police label act as “despicable random attack”

The “nasty unprovoked assault” took place in Nottingham in March, leading to cyclists questioning why the driver and the passenger haven’t been arrested yet

Multiple cyclists have come forward to share their stories of having been assaulted on the road by drivers or passengers in motor vehicles, after a cyclist riding to work was pushed off his bike in Nottingham in March, but the perpetrators have gone unarrested by the police who described the act as a “despicable random attack” and a “nasty unprovoked assault”.

Nottinghamshire Police released footage captured by the cyclist’s rear bike camera at 4am on Saturday 9 March, which showed a silver Peugeot van being driven along Nottingham Road, catching up to the cyclist with a man hanging out of the passenger window with his arms outstretched, ready to attack the rider from a few metres away.

The driver seemed to time the movement of the van to make it easier for the man to shove the cyclist, who ended up suffering facial injuries, bruising to his arms and legs and a swollen knee following the incident. The handlebars, brake levers, and rear axle of his bike were also damaged.

The police said: “Officers have already explored several lines of inquiry as part of their ongoing investigation, including inquiries relating to the van driver and registered keeper.”

PC Jon Lingard, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a nasty unprovoked assault on a man cycling to work. It’s fortunate that he didn’t sustain more serious injuries following this despicable random attack.

“We are now in a position to release this footage as part of our investigation and would ask that anyone who recognises the man pictured to get in touch. We’d also ask that he contacts us if he sees this appeal.”

Anyone who recognises the man or who has any information was requested to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 137 of 9 March 2024, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

> Police appeal over "serious assault" that saw cyclist pushed from bike by car passenger

Following the release of the footage, cyclists, confused and angered, have questioned the police force’s swiftness in acting as well as many others shared their own stories of having faced such acts on the road, justifying why more and more cyclists feel the need to ride with cameras.

One cyclist from Nottingham commented under the police’s Twitter post: “I once got shunted into oncoming traffic at a roundabout by a car driver who resented I was in front of him. I did nothing to irritate them other than follow the Highway Code… scary. If I had not accelerated into traffic and wove my way through it, I would have been mashed.”

Another Nottingham cyclist wrote: “Similar thing happened to me, but it was lads in a car. They pushed me into some railings. They enjoyed doing it enough to turn back and come by again and spook me some more.”

Casey Adams said: “How does our system not have the ability to force the registered owner to identify the driver and the driver to name the suspect?” while Dr Kara claimed: “This is why more and more cyclists run cameras.”

Another Twitter account by the name of Ride Primary TVL, which aims to educate police on the law on behaviour around cyclists, wrote: “Why are you shocked? You spent years refusing to prosecute drivers for their offences against cyclists, making the offenders feel they can get away with anything. You caused this, own it!”

Several others also questioned why the police waited for six months to release the footage. The account Ride Primary TVL also said: “Hang on, f****** March, and now you feign interest. What exactly were you waiting for?”

One person wrote: “You have the plate numbers. Ask the driver, and hold them in contempt and interfering with police investigation if they stay quiet,” while another asked: “You waited until September to ask for help identifying someone from an assault that happened in March? You let this behaviour go unpunished for 6 months?”

road.cc has contacted Nottinghamshire Police for comment.

> “The only motive was idiocy”: Two men who pushed cyclists into ditches for “fun” handed a two-year suspended prison sentence

We have reported on several similar incidents like this in the past. In April this year, Kent Police launched an appeal and released a photo of a man they wish to speak to in relation to a "serious assault on a cyclist" last summer — almost a year later. The case appeared to be that of Katie Good, a female Ironman athlete and immigration lawyer who suffered a broken collarbone when she was deliberately shoved from her bike by a laughing car passenger.

In January 2023, a man was fined £200 by Kilmarnock Sheriff Court for leaning out of an overtaking vehicle and hitting a cyclist with a tub of hair gel, after becoming frustrated that the cyclists were not "moving fast enough".

Another recent case from across the Channel was brought to light when two men in France, whose "only motive was idiocy", were handed a two-year suspended prison sentence after a spree of incidents which saw cyclists pushed into ditches, apparently for "fun".

Adwitiya joined road.cc in 2023 as a news writer after graduating with a masters in journalism from Cardiff University. His dissertation focused on active travel, which soon threw him into the deep end of covering everything related to the two-wheeled tool, and now cycling is as big a part of his life as guitars and football. He has previously covered local and national politics for Voice Wales, and also likes to writes about science, tech and the environment, if he can find the time. Living right next to the Taff trail in the Welsh capital, you can find him trying to tackle the brutal climbs in the valleys.

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49 comments

Avatar
PRSboy replied to cyclisto | 1 month ago
9 likes

I don't think prison is the answer.  Compulsory community service every weekend for years.  Night-time litter picking on an unlit country road, wearing dark clothing, for example.

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chrisonabike replied to cyclisto | 1 month ago
6 likes

Just on the "hard labour" idea - the problem with that idea is that a) it's not been shown to be a great deterrent (obvs. having *no* consequences is zero deterrent!) and b) if you plan to ever let them out again then you've potentially created a very strong person with a well-thought-out grudge against the "system", with a "prison education" and new links to other criminals... (EDIT and with low legit employment prospects).

Prison "solutions" have issues - banging people up is politically popular but apparently no-one wants to live near one, or pay for the building, or the running costs (usually very expensive).

Almost every society has to deal with some kind of "young people (almost all men) energetically testing limits and not giving a stuff about others". I do think that the combination of bored youth with grievances but who still can easily access cars (because the expectation is that almost all adults will) *plus* the power of motor vehicles is clearly problematic. For one issue see many of the entries in the Car Crashes into Building thread...

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mitsky replied to chrisonabike | 1 month ago
2 likes

Do you mean the "Driver crashes into building" thread?
http://rc-rg.com

"wow, that car did that all by itself?"
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3331869633536303/

Avatar
chrisonabike replied to mitsky | 1 month ago
0 likes
mitsky wrote:

Do you mean the "Driver crashes into building" thread?
http://rc-rg.com

You have spotted the deliberate mistake but I'm sure as David9694 would say "Welcome to the '*Car* crashes into building thread" (for exactly those stories reported as if the vehicle was autonomous).

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mark1a replied to mitsky | 1 month ago
1 like

mitsky wrote:

Do you mean the "Driver crashes into building" thread?
http://rc-rg.com

No.
https://road.cc/content/forum/car-crashes-building-please-post-your-loca...

Avatar
john_smith replied to chrisonabike | 1 month ago
1 like

If you've created a very strong person you've been feeding them too much and allowing them too much rest between shifts.

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chrisonabike replied to john_smith | 1 month ago
0 likes

Well "hard labour" was quoted, not "extermination through labour".

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Spangly Shiny replied to chrisonabike | 1 month ago
0 likes

One has to contemplate the the old Viking sentence of being outlawed. This was used way back, when there were no prisons. The convicted person was declared an outlaw and was therefore fair game to anyone with the ways and means to mete out summary justice. A vigilante's charter, if you will, but all sanctioned by the justice system.
It would put the fear of carp (intentional misspelling) into some of these yahoos that blight our lives.

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chrisonabike replied to Spangly Shiny | 1 month ago
0 likes

Perhaps - or merely divert them to the sport of outlaw-hunting? Followed by "the cyclist unfortunately closely resembled a notorious local outlaw..." ?

Still, I can go look out my Niðing pole (vegetarian, no horses to hand) if you feel we've reached the point where there's so much random violence the only cure for it is a wider distribution of violence...

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JLasTSR | 1 month ago
9 likes

It is a real surprise that they have not arrested anyone for this. I would be surprised if they had not already identified the passenger. Proving it might be another matter. The driver is equally guilty for aiding and abetting a crime.

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Sriracha replied to JLasTSR | 1 month ago
1 like

Doesn’t help that the number plate seems to have been deliberately blurred out. Or is that just an unfortunate smudge on the lens?

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HoarseMann replied to Sriracha | 1 month ago
3 likes

It could have been on cloned plates, hence the blurring of the number plate. That's all I can think as to why they would blur it.

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LeadenSkies replied to HoarseMann | 1 month ago
0 likes

Unless there is some evidentiary reason then I can only presume it is to protect the poor vulnerable van owner from the all too common violent acts of street justice meated out by those nasty cyclists.

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Spangly Shiny replied to LeadenSkies | 1 month ago
0 likes

meted, the word is meted.

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LeadenSkies replied to Spangly Shiny | 1 month ago
4 likes

Thank you. Every day is a school day.

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chrisonabike replied to LeadenSkies | 1 month ago
1 like

I thought it was a conscious coupling or coinage; though of course it's a hard meeting with a *motor vehicle* which not infrequently sees the recipient meated...

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mdavidford replied to Spangly Shiny | 1 month ago
3 likes

Spangly Shiny wrote:

meted, the word is meted.

I think the apposite word here might be 'meathead'.

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Mr Anderson | 1 month ago
3 likes

Yet another Random Act of Violence Against a Cyclist🤬

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FionaJJ replied to Mr Anderson | 1 month ago
2 likes

Yes. But it's not 'random', is it? We all know that it's the predictable consequence of whipping up hatred thanks to humanising and anti-cyclist rhetoric by certain politicians and the media. Just last week we were described as mosquitos in the House of Lords. We should be sending the link to this video to such commentators to show them the consequences of their words.

There has been reasonable criticism of the police in other comments, and I won't disagree, but I will say that I am pleased they made the point of saying the victim was cycling to work when the assault happened. Not that it should matter, but so much of the anti-cycling rhetoric relies on perpetuating the myth that we are only on the road to get in the way of real traffic and/or to do time trials. It is also very clear from this video that there was plenty of space for a safe over-take, and no doubt whatsoever that the driver saw the cyclist. 

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