Cyclist kicked off by bike thieves on Bristol to Bath cycle path

For the second time in less than a week, a cyclist has been attacked on the Bristol to Bath cycle path. On Saturday, cyclists were threatened with a knife by a gang of youths and one was hit with a D-lock. The Bristol Post reports that this was followed by the theft of a bike after the cyclist was kicked off on Tuesday night.

The latest attack took place at around 10.20pm on the stretch between Croydon Street and Brixton Road in Easton.

The victim said he had been threatened by a group of around 15 teenagers, one wielding a thick chain-style bike lock.

A local salesman who arrived on the scene shortly afterwards said: "I got onto the cycle track and there were people stopped there. I got stopped by around four people. One of them said the guy had been robbed.

"They said this bloke had been robbed for his bike. He said 'I'm shaken up'. A girl who was there called the police. He said he had been kicked off his bike and robbed of his bike."

A statement from Avon and Somerset Police said: "We’ve had a report of a man being robbed of his bike on the cycle path between the turnings for Croydon Street and Brixton Road at about 10.20pm on Tuesday 7 August.

"The cyclist was knocked from his bike by a group of about 15 boys and young men aged between 14 and 20 who threatened him, took his bike and then made off onto Brixton Road."

Saturday’s incident occurred just a little further along the route, near the Devon Road bridge.

A cyclist who arrived as events were unfolding described seeing bikes being thrown around “and a bunch of teenage kids in the middle of it.”

The cyclist added: “One of them confronted me saying 'what the fuck are you looking at?' and being generally threatening. Another of them said to him 'come on! The cops are coming'. Away they went.

"The cyclists who'd been attacked were obviously in deep shock, one had a painful shoulder injury, another had been hit in the head with the attacker’s D-lock and had a hand injury from where he fell off onto the ground.

"I think there were four cyclists in the group that was attacked, two of whom were on a day-trip cycle from Bath and were heading back that way.”

In May 2017, a Bristol woman described how she and her friends were ambushed by a group of youths. The gang’s behaviour suggested that they may have been looking to steal bikes to order.