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news
Rodwell Trail (Dorset Council)Cyclist injured by axe-wielding youths during attack along popular trail
A cyclist was injured during an attack by armed teenagers along a popular trail in Weymouth on Saturday night.
The incident happened on the Rodwell Trail in Dorset between 21:50 and 22:05 BST on Saturday, and saw the victim, a cyclist in his 40s, suffer injuries to his head, arm and leg, police have said.
While he was cycling behind Weymouth Outdoor Centre a group of four teenagers — one carrying an axe and another a knife — attacked the rider and took his baseball cap and a backpack containing a bike lock.
The cyclist was taken to hospital, and the youths are described as white, aged between 14 and 18, and wearing dark clothing. Det Sgt Gareth Jones of Weymouth CID said it was an unprovoked and nasty attack.
"We are determined to find those responsible and are conducting a number of enquiries," he said.
"I am urging anyone who witnessed the incident or may have any information about the offenders to contact us as soon as possible."
Mayor of Weymouth Ann Weaving said she was "upset and disgusted" by the incident.
"All I can say is that I blame the education system," she told the Dorset Echo.
"Children and teenagers don't have a clue nowadays about basic good behaviour. Most children don't know the Lord's Prayer. I've even noticed during the Platinum Jubilee that the youth of today don't even know the words to God Save the Queen.
"I just hope the man who was involved is okay. It's so upsetting and disgusting to hear something like this happening."
Dorset Council's website says the Rodwell Trail is popular with pedestrians, cyclists and dog walkers. It is a 3.5km trail along Weymouth's old railway line and Sandfoot Castle.
The shared-use path is part of National Cycle Network Route 26 and is fully surfaced.
Attacks on cyclists by groups of youths has been a recurring problem on the Bristol and Bath Railway Path in recent years. In 2020, one man was robbed at knifepoint, while several cyclists reported seeing large sticks being left in the path to block their route.
In 2017, on the same route, a Bristol woman reported her and her friends being ambushed by a group of youths in an attempt to steal their bikes.
Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.
Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.
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32 comments
Well I never, arrests made:
https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/20194400.five-teens-arrested-following...
Mayor of Weymouth Ann Weaving said she was "upset and disgusted" by the incident.
"All I can say is that I blame the education system"..
I'd start with blaming their parents..
Maybe it's just me - and I say this as a Christian - but I'm not convinced that whether or not they know the words of the Lord's Prayer is a significant consideration here.
Actual thoughts and prayers.
Maybe the suggestion is if nabbed the could claim "benefit of clergy" for a lighter sentence?
This is awful and I hope they are caught or at least taught a lesson preferably by another group of cyclists. At least because the perpetrators were white they were allowed to give a description.
Yep Inspector Clouseau, that'll narrow it down to pretty much all white kids of school age 14-18 practically all of whom wear dark clothing or have said clothing for their attire.
???
Is it racist troll day on here today? Can you provide a single example of the police failing to provide a description of non-white perpetrators?
I think he's saying the descriptions of non-white people don't help him because "they all look the same."
God save the Mayor
A fascist at prayer
They made her a moron
Potential facepalm
Best wishes to the victim for a swift recovery, and I hope the police and community will be assiduous in their pursuit of the perpetrators.
"Children and teenagers don't have a clue nowadays about basic good behaviour. Most children don't know the Lord's Prayer."
Maybe they weren't christians? To boldly state that ignorance of some religious rote learning means that you'll attack innocent people is so utterly absurd that it's delusional. Religion is probably responsible for more deaths than any other reason.
"I've even noticed during the Platinum Jubilee that the youth of today don't even know the words to God Save the Queen."
I don't know them either, but I'm a republican and anti-royalist, so maybe these attackers weren't royalists either.
To assign the causes of a vicious, unforgiveable attack like this on religion and bowing to the relatives of people who were the biggest bastards hundreds of years ago and have no intention of sharing their ill-gotten gains is risible.
On Route 4 near Warmly, a rider hit a strand of wire that was tight across the pathway, I saw the rider the day or so after handing out a warning pamphlet I could see the wire cut on his neck, very worrying as most riders are travelling fast. This was about ten years ago.
Not withstadnign the mayors rather daft comments, this is a shocking attack. I was actually in Weymouth, visiting my parents, at the weekend and cycled along this excellent cycle trail to their home. Also had a cracking day going around some of the quiet country Dorset lanes. It's a lovely area for cycling.
And whatever the respected Mayor is on about, this isn't a case of "the youth of today". Allegedly, assuming the report is accurate, this would seem to be armed robbery with a serious threat to life. The last time I checked that was a very very serious crime.
Good God. You would hope the police will manage to forget about the victim being a cyclist in this case and just concentrate on the fact that there is some nutter out there attacking the public with an AXE!!!
They carried an axe and a knife, although the report doesn't state they used the weapons; the cyclist was likely injured from being pushed off his bike.
mumble, mumble, something about guns
It turns out that very, very few American children know the words to God Save the Queen. Coincidence?
What I learned about basic good behaviour came from my parents, neither I nor they would have thought it appropriate to blame my teachers for any shortcomings I had in that department. I don't recall being taught the words to God Save the Queen at school, but somehow I still managed to resist going out and attacking people with an axe.
Quite surprising to look up Ms Weaving and find that she is a Labour politician, that sort of "it's all the teachers' fault" rhetoric usually comes from further right.
Hope the victim recovers swiftly and fully.
It was the Sex Pistols.
Agree - Had to learn God Save the Queen for one of my cub scout badges. Parents are responsible for the upbringing of their children - we don't live in a nanny state thank goodness.
As to her comment about the lord's prayer...................
Pretty sure it's only a matter of time.
.
Sadly, this is nothing new. As teachers, we are expected to 'parent' where the parents themselves do not. It's very common to be asked advice on how to address student behaviour as we see the students for so much time everyday, but some parents take that one step further and assume that teachers will take all the responsibility.
I'm not saying that the politician's statement is acceptable, but that it is part of a wider societally reinforced assumption about teachers.
Unfortunately, some teachers these days think it's appropriate for them to push their own ideology onto their students in the guise of education..
Unfortunately, some uneducated people these days think it's appropriate for them to talk rubbish about a field in which they have no knowledge or expertise.
"All I can say is that I blame the education system," she told the Dorset Echo.
"Children and teenagers don't have a clue nowadays about basic good behaviour. Most children don't know the Lord's Prayer. I've even noticed during the Platinum Jubilee that the youth of today don't even know the words to God Save the Queen."
WTAF?
So, if you can recite these two things, then you're a good egg, in her books.
Talk about parochial attitudes...
I hope the mental scars, never mind the physical scars, heal for the victim.
Well, it worked for Dr Helen Measures, didn't it...?
Anyone else wondering if the attitude of the mayor has anything to do with the problems near Weymouth? Talk about deflection and distortions. Back in my day we didnt have shoes etc etc etc ....
(She is "only" a town/parish councillor apparently). All the real power appears to be under Dorset Council Uinitary authority.
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