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Jeremy VineJeremy Vine accused of 'bullying' Anti Low Traffic Neighbourhood group
Broadcaster Jeremy Vine has been reported to the BBC over claims he 'bullied and intimidated' a group opposed to low traffic neighbourhoods by alleging they had decapitated flowers belonging to a safe cycling campaigner.
The Radio 2 presenter posted an image on his Twitter of the vandalism last week, as road.cc reported.
'Severed' flower heads had been spread out on a resident's doormat in the image and alongside the photograph Vine explained how the woman had been subjected to 'so much abuse' from a local anti cycling group.
He wrote: “A woman in my area has been relentless in arguing the case for safe cycling. She has had much abuse from the local anti-cycling group which is raising £50,000 to get our new cycle lane torn out.
“Yesterday, she woke to find all the flowers in her front garden had been decapitated.”
Now, the Telegraph reports, a member of One Chiswick, a group opposed to road closures and safe pop-up cycle lanes, has written to the BBC Director General, Tim Davie, insisting Vine, 55, made unfounded 'libellous and defamatory' claims against them.
Writing on Twitter this morning Vine pointed out he wasn't directly accusing anyone but said the 'local anti cycling brigade' had created an atmosphere where someone 'might think it is ok to do something like this'.
Margie Frew, a member of One Chiswick claimed Vine suggested members of the group had 'committed criminal acts, including trespass, vandalism and intimidation and harassment.'
@abundancelondon@thejeremyvine use a staged photo of flowers and claim vandalism by@realonechiswick while prior having posted multiple tweets about squirrels destroying her tulips & flowers every April & allows this unfounded fraudulent accusation to continue-shame on you!🤨 pic.twitter.com/Ed1SHOgtyg
— margie frew (@margiefrew) May 4, 2021
After seeing the initial tweet, Jo Rigby, a Wandsworth Labour councillor, set up a Just Giving page to help replace the flowers.
More than £2,600 has now been raised, including a donation from British Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman.
A woman in my area has been relentless in arguing the case for safe cycling. She has had much abuse from the local anti-cycling group which is raising £50k to get our new cycle lane torn out. Yesterday she woke to find all the flowers in her front garden had been decapitated. pic.twitter.com/XRta6Y7yYy
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) May 1, 2021
Posting on Twitter at the time, Rigby said:"Someone has decapitated her flowers and you don't f**k with flowers."
Ms Frew argues that Vine, who has 750,000 Twitter followers, has 'unfairly' described One Chiswick members as 'anti-bike'.
She claims she and her husband are both 'keen cyclists' despite the group saying it wants to scrap the 'dangerous' C9 cycle lane.
On the group's website, it claims cyclists are terrified of using the new path in case 'a car enters by mistake' or they crash into other cyclists coming the other way.
It also repeats the unsubstantiated claim that emergency service vehicles are delayed by low traffic neighbourhoods.
One Chiswick say they are exercising their 'democratic right' to oppose LTNs.
The letter to the BBC, seen by The Telegraph, explains how Vine did not name the group directly, but 'it can only be that he meant it to be the resident group One Chiswick, which he claims is anti-cycling.'
Ms Frew says he has 'no evidence' to back his claims anyone in the group cut the heads off at least 30 flowers.
“Mr Vine believes he could make these inflammatory accusations without fear of repercussion,” she wrote.
“You will appreciate that these assertions are, unless proven, not only libellous and defamatory, but seeking to bully, intimidate and control people with whom he disagrees.”
She says the alleged victim, a former BBC employee, has used social media in the past to complain how squirrels have 'decapitated' her tulips during Spring time.
Demanding an apology from Vine, Ms Frew said the broadcaster is 'prepared to engage in the promotion of lies, as well as potentially being involved in the fabrication of evidence to bully, intimidate and defame myself and others.'
She added: “It would appear that Mr Vine feels emboldened, confident that the BBC guidelines bear no teeth and he can ignore them.”
A BBC spokeswoman confirmed its Executive Complaints Unit was dealing with the complaint, adding: “Jeremy is aware of his duty under the BBC's social media guidelines.”
Breach of the guidance can lead to disciplinary action and even termination of a contract.
Posting on Twitter today under the original post, Mr Vine wrote: "It shouldn't need saying, but I'm absolutely not suggesting any member of any particular website did the tulips.
"But unfortunately what the local anti-cycling brigade have done is create the kind of atmosphere where someone might feel it's okay to do it. This post is an example."
It shouldn't need saying, but I'm absolutely not suggesting any member of any particular website did the tulips. But unfortunately what the local anti-cycling brigade have done is create the kind of atmosphere where someone might feel it's okay to do it. This post is an example. pic.twitter.com/M4HHt1ewG3
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) May 9, 2021
Latest Comments
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Scrub that, they should just pass round a box for donations.
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43 comments
Is this person suggesting the squirrels would have laid the decapitated flowers on her mat in a neat row like that?
No, she's suggesting the 'alleged victim' topped the flowers herself with the aim of publicity.
"She says the alleged victim, a former BBC employee, has used social media in the past to complain how squirrels have 'decapitated' her tulips during Spring time."
Is this person suggesting the squirrels would have laid the decapitated flowers on her matt in a neat row like that?
I had to pick up some keys from an Estate Agent in Chiswick recently, and they had 'One Chiswick' leaflets on prominent display. Their jaws dropped as I walked in carrying my Brompton, and you could see them mouthing 'What, someone uses a bike for work purposes?' Priceless!
It's the narrow-mindedness of these objectors that I don't get - they just not get fact that not everyone wants to go around by car like they do.
Taken from OneChiswick's website
My emphasis
And, this wonderful side-by-side photo, which I think means they would rather have roads full of bumper-to-bumper traffic...?
The picture is supposed to show that an empty road with a cyclist (illegally) cycling up the pavement but with a sheltered bus stop, is now a traffic nightmare with an old lady having to wait with no seating or cover. Of course they have obviously used the same road in both pictures at the same time of day..........
I just loved
which I read as their implying that the needs of pedestrians and cyclists aren't real needs...
Also by making a [false in this case] distinction between choice and need
Yes a strange position to take that walking is a choice, but dragging two tonnes of metal around with you is a need, and all the carbon emissions and pollution associated with cars is a necesary consequence.
Just shows how broken society is, that this position is accepted, and not widely ridiculed.
But, remember: they're NOT anti cycling, m'kay...
Presumably, One Oval are a sister organisation. They went to town on the Oval Triangle scheme, often citing reports from London Fire Brigade that the filters prevent emergency access. They look like this:
It's terrible when geometry gets heated like this
It would appear that JV didn't accuse One Chiswick of anything. He accused "the local anti-cycling brigade". So if One Chiswick think they are being accused they clearly self-identify as being anti-cycling, despite the fact that they say they're not. So which is it?
He also didn't mention who the neighbour is but One Chiswick knew who it was and combed through her social media posts to find her supposedly moaning about Squirrels beheading flowers in the past.
Makes you wonder automatically as well.
I would rather pull off my own head than voluntarily listen to Radio 2, which is where JV's show is, I understand. However, I have seen no reason to criticise him for his support of cycling and plenty of reasons to support him. He is a professional and did not directly accuse the nutter anti-cycling group of the flower-cide, even though they or a nutter supporter probably did it. The nutter group seems to be parodying itself, with the claim 'we're cyclists ourselves'.
I didn't really mind listening to radio 2, and did so for many years. But it is shite now. Jeremy Vine's show is boring and predictable now, he talks about absolute rubbish most of the time. Steve Wright should be put out to grass, he stopped being entertaing a long time ago. And we have Zoe Ball, or 'ZoBo' as she seems to like calling herself. A talentless fuckwit, given a pay rise of one million pounds a year to call everyone 'darling, gorgeous girl and other cringworthy titles whilst talking complete shit. Suffice to say Radio 2 isn't tuned in any more.
The BBC is a joke, they force their views down our throats, they seem to employ only wokes and people from minority groups and pay twats like GL on Match of the day to tell us we are all racist.
Ken Bruce is a fabulous thing in the mornings though, PopMaster makes my morning, and occasionally Gary Davies takes over from Steve Wright.
We only can pick up 2 stations on our lab radio, analogue at that, no digital available.
All a matter of taste. I was sure nobody would take a comment like mine seriously, and I mostly listen to World Service now, along with 4X, to keep my head in the sand while the disaster that is Brexit lays waste to the UK.
The BBC is a joke....they seem to employ only wokes and people from minority groups.
Bigoted much? What don't you like about the minority groups being on there? Skin colours maybe? Maybe I'm too woke to not let your bile pass without comment.
You sound like a nice fella.
I don't recall Gary Lineker making any such claim, can you provide a source?
R2 is not what it was, but is anything better now. Rose tinted cycling glasses etc... Zoe Ball, she is a whittering fool where everyone is gorgeous but thank god for Ken Bruce and Steve Wright. I simply change channels when midday rolls around and it's not so much Jeremy Vine but the people who call in and then start arguing. It's a forum or FB/twitter in audible form.
As for the story on road.cc, why are people so vehemently against LTN's and are trying to waste money removing them and cycling lanes. Surely they see the benefit of them. As for Ms Frew, if she was a keen cyclist she'd campaign to get the cycle lane made safer not removed altogether. What a bunch of numpties they are. I wonder if her cycling helmet is covered in tin foil...
As for the story on road.cc, why are people so vehemently against LTN's and are trying to waste money removing them and cycling lanes. Surely they see the benefit of them. As for Ms Frew, if she was a keen cyclist she'd campaign to get the cycle lane made safer not removed altogether.
"It is unsafe as cars can drive down it". "It is unsafe as emergency vehicles can't drive down it."
I believe the first is (was) an issue as someone posted footage on here but then the lane wasn't finished fully and also drivers can't work out roads or signs in most cases.
Strange how JV can writeShe has had much abuse from the local anti-cycling group which is raising £50,000 to get our new cycle lane torn out." and they take exception when they think they've been accused of pulling out flowers. So the bit about the abuse was ......
The victim here is the person whose flowers were decapitated. Not the people trying to prevent cycle infra and LTNs being built.
Gosh, not only have I got to deal with a mix of dangerously incompetent idiots and homicidally aggressive thugs driving 2t murder weapons, but now I have to deal with usually reasonable and safe drivers who have become unwittingly incensed into violent frenzy around cyclists by reading JVs tweets.
The first group were manageable. The second are of such mania and volume of numbers that we stand no chance.
If only we cyclists kept out of important people's way whilst touching our forelocks and retaining a mousey "please don't hurt me too badly" demeanor, everything would be just fine.....
so, you position is that cyclists are endangered because of something that someone says, rather than because of the actions of drivers?
that otherwise safe and responsible drivers take out their angst on any random cyclists they see after hearing from Jeremy vine.
I assume you consider yourself a safe and responsible driver, so by extension can we assume that having read the latest announcement from Jeremy Vine you will be going out to punish some random cyclists?
If not there is no reason to think others are doing so.
No - you've got entirely the wrong end of the stick - the sound of Jeremy Vine's voice is enraging hordes of squirrels and provoking them into making mass attacks on passing cyclists (and flowers).
Well, it wouldn't be the first time
Does anybody think that the squirrels have a better chance for a case of libel than Marie Free?
"....insisting Vine, 55, made unfounded 'libellous and defamatory' claims against them."
I can't say I've read all of JVs tweets, but it would be good to see the one that the above refers to - unless it doesn't exist...
And of course he has been accused of staging the incident, which if untrue would be.... a libelous and defamatory allegation.....
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