West Midlands Police are investigating a shocking incident in which a cyclist was robbed of his £3,300 mountain bike on his own doorstep by a gang of seven thugs.
Craig Pickering’s Trek Remedy 8 bike, similar to the one pictured, was taken during the violent attack last Friday outside his home in Kingstanding, Birmingham, reports Birmingham Live.
Mr Pickering, who lives with his partner and two stepdaughters, was hit a number of times on the back of the head with an unknown implement during the attack, which left him unconscious and bleeding from a head wound.
He was treated for his injuries at the scene by paramedics before being taken to Good Hope Hospital for further treatment, including having his head wound stapled.
“There’s some horrible people out there,” he said. “I’m glad I was home alone – it could’ve been a lot different if the girls had been here – they could have been caught up in it.”
The victim, who rides his bike to work each day, said that he believed he had been specifically targeted by the gang, whom he said were riding electric motorcycles.
“My bike was my pride and joy,” he said. “I don’t drive, I cycle to work in Nechells. I’ve cycled every day of my life and it’s all been taken away from me.
“I went down my pathway, turned the corner and two of them went past me on electric motocross bikes. I went past them and then all of a sudden, seven of them came on these bikes and blocked me off.
“I broke free and made it back to my house and just about got my bike halfway through the front door but I had to let go because I was being battered.
“They hit me around the back of my head with something hard and they picked up my big black wheelie bin and hit me on the back of my head. They were aiming for my head all the time. I collapsed and when I came around, everyone was people were around me.
“My neighbours came out and a young lady was driving past and she stopped and assisted me.”
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “We’re investigating after a man was attacked by a gang who then stole his mountain bike in Kingstanding. It happened on Homerton Road at around 4.15pm on Friday. The victim needed hospital treatment and was understandably left shaken by the nasty attack.
“Our robbery team from Stechford police station has been in touch with the victim to update him on the investigation, and are carrying out CCTV enquiries. Anyone with information has been asked to get in touch, quoting 20/1043687/23.”
Mr Pickering is not sure whether he will get back in the saddle following his ordeal.
“I’m still apprehensive about getting another bike. I feel like it’s all been taken away from me. Thank you to the police, too,” he added.
14 thoughts on “Man robbed of £3,300 bike on own doorstep by gang of thugs”
Here’s a bold suggestion for
Here’s a bold suggestion for the Police; investigate every purchaser of electric Motocross bikes.
They can operate under the pretense of making sure usage is only on private land, not on public highways without tax, insurance, licences etc. But we all know that there are almost no legitimate users of these products, they are exclusively used as untrackable getaway vehicles for drug deals and violent robberies.
3 of those sur-rons pulled out on me at 9pm the other night going the wrong way round a roundabout, with no lights, dressed all in black with balaclavas and no helmets and I genuinely asked myself if I would be arrested or commended if I hadn’t been so alert as to avoid colliding with them.
Or better, completely ban the
Or better, completely ban the sale of unregistered motor vehicles whether or not their only intended use is on private land. It’s an absurd loophole.
Correcto. Ffs, how many
Correcto. Ffs, how many people in the whole of the UK actually have enough private land that they can need/use an unregistered vehicle which never needs to go outside their property? I mean, I have my own private shooting range, but amazon still won’t sell me a rifle in the UK.
YEah, lets ban quad bikes. No
Yeah, lets ban quad bikes. No need for them on the road, never mind what farmers might say. Lets also ban anything that cannot be legitimised as a road vehicle and not just be a fun thing to do for a minority of people who might have land. Shall I bring a torch or a pitchfork this time?
Let’s at least shift the
Let’s at least shift the burden of proof then. Like shotguns, you can buy one if you can demonstrate that you will be a competent and responsible owner who can store it safely and only use it where legally permitted. Otherwise you can’t have one, because they’re dangerous items with no legal uses on public roads. Like shotguns.
Well, where I live, quads can
Well, where I live, quads can be registered, so I don’t see any problem there. But the general theme is illegal emotorcycles, especially those derived from bicycles, and I still think there should be some restriction, especially as there is no policing. It doesn’t seem to cause much problem if you want to race a motorcycle in a circuit like Brands. I agree it’s a great pity if some people can’t have fun because of the actions of others, but that’s pretty general with everything.
Yes, of course. We forget
Yes, of course. We forget that violent criminals who rob people in broad daylight in public places still have the decency to purchase the cars or bikes they use to commit the crimes on instead of stealing them too.
Oh wait!
Clearly these scumbags are
Clearly these scumbags are not buying motocross bikes through normal channels. They are stolen, just like this poor guy’s bike. Police are absolutely useless in this country and theft/robbery is essentially decriminalised.
Police are absolutely useless
Police are absolutely useless in this country and theft/robbery is essentially decriminalised
Along with 6 1/2 years of no MOT, insurance or VED. I saw WU59 UMH again today, but I was walking so didn’t have the camera on. The police have refused to do anything, the Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner says it’s nothing to do with him, complaints to LC about LC are all rejected for unbelievably stupid reasons. You have seen how LC works, or doesn’t work, over the Nicola Bulley case.
Have you tried the local
Have you tried the local press? They love a good ‘police not doing their job’ story. May just kick them into action.
The police need some new
The police need some new tactics and changes in the law to allow it:
1. Use unmarked cars to knock off anyone riding a moped / electric motorbike / sur-ron whilst wearing a balaclava and no helmet- and ideally do it at speed so the scroats geta. good scare at the same time.
2. Do the same for any eMotorbike / Moped where the rider and pillion passenger are wearing balaclavas.
3. Follow the trail of where the eMotorbike / Moped was purchased / trace the source of funds for purchasing – most of it is proceeds from drugs / acquisitive crime. Then prosecute those involved in the sale of the machines.
4. Sit outside McDs etc. just waiting for Deliveroo / Justeat riders on illegal bikes to turn up to collect orders. Of those, many are illegal migrants who have “rented” the deliveroo rider’s ID for the week – so they are working illegally and mostly driving illegally because they aren’t licensed to drive and this have no insurance.
The sur-ron idiots are everywhere – one drove straight at me (wearing a balaclava) in Richmond Park last week – doing at least 40mph. If I haven’t swerved he would have taken me out – and as he was coming towards me I had the usual “uh oh – I’m going to get mugged at knifepoint” thought you get when you see this sort of scroat.
Wow so you recommend changing
Wow so you recommend changing the law to allow even more violence by the Police, plus manage to get in a right trash rant at purported furriners (with no evidence of course). Hopefully a “scroat” (LMAO) will delete you from the gene pool soon enough ?????
Whassat? Furriers?!
Whassat? Furriers?!
Perhaps the real message open_roads is bringing us* is that the problem with this country is we eat too much takeway food, costing too little, and can’t even be bothered to fetch it ourselves?
Like the war on some drugs though probably we’ve long lost the battle at the demand end of things. However maybe concentrating on taking on the cartels and kingpins – or rather the food delivery companies and e-motorbike suppliers – might prove more effective than busting some “foot soliders”?
If only our govenors and lawmakers could be bothered (and I don’t mean implementing some xenophobic pipe dream of deporting people to somewhere not very nice, very far away either).
* Possibly from the “golden age” of the 1970s / 80s where wrong ‘uns could be relied on to fall down the stairs of our police stations and slam their goolies in draws while doing so?
chrisonatrike wrote: