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news
road.cc newsWiltshire cyclist injured in drive-by paintball attack
A Swindon man has recounted how he required hospital treatment after being shot at three times from a passing car with a paintball gun, once in the face, as he cycled home from work in the early hours of Monday morning.
Barman Tony Blackford, aged 25, told This is Wiltshire that he had been left temporarily blinded by the attack, which also saw him hit twice in the ribs, and that he managed to flag down a passing motorist who took him to the Great Western Hospital to have his injuries treated.
Mr Blackford, described as suffering from moderate learning difficulties, said: “I finished work and was half way home when I heard ‘bang, bang, bang.’ The car came from behind me and I could not see anything.”
His grandmother Jeanette Blackford, aged 71, added that he was lucky not to have been blinded in the attack, with one of the projectiles just missing his right eye.
“We thought his nose was broken,” she revealed. “He had oil from green paint in his eyes and could’ve been blinded.
“He normally wears glasses for reading so it was lucky he wasn’t wearing them. He’s very quiet at the moment.
“He’s never caused any trouble and has done remarkably well to hold down a job since leaving school.
“He went and got the job at the Dockle Farmhouse by himself and he works so hard. Now this happens and he is terrified of going out.
“He could not see the car or anything – he was covered in paint and blood.
“You can’t print what I think of the people that did this – if only I could get hold of them. I hope the police throw the book at them.”
This is Wiltshire says that it is believed that the incident may be related to similar attacks that have take place in the town in which BB guns have been used.
On the same night that Mr Blackford was attacked, a 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm in connection with one of those other incidents, which had taken place in Middleleaze.
A spokesman for Wiltshire Police commented: “We arrested a 19-year-old male for an incident in Alba Close involving a BB gun. The car involved was a Renault Clio.
“We had three reports but the man has been arrested only in relation to one. We are keeping an open mind as the other reports are very similar.”
Anyone who has information about the attacks is asked to call Wiltshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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13 comments
quango2008---i like your prison outsource idea. We also have chain-gangs works the sides of roads in some U.S. states. Sheriff Joe in Arizona puts them in pink jumpsuits and they are provided shelter in tents in the desert.
I'm stunned... that was just plain sadistic and senseless. This goes beyond bad behavior of juveniles. Find this person or group and punish them as an example.
Remember to wear protective eyewear folks, clear lenses or shaded!
Now that would be one hell of an outsourcing deal!
give me 20 mins with them in my garage...they will be punished fairly with my assorted hammers, pliers and welding equipment..
seriously, what is the worst that can happen in our society? they could go to prison....OOOOOOOH scary! they will get to play playstation, pool, hang about with similar minded fekwits with the same mentality....yeah, that will teach them.
outsource prisons to China.....you wouldn't wanna go there
Scum!
Really the punishment for this should be the paintball firing squad - naked of course.
I mean there would be plenty of volunteers for the firing duties.
maybe the sun was in his in eyes and he didnt realise there was a cyclist there - that should be enough of an excuse for them to avoid any meaningful penalty....
scum.
don't give him to the courts. Just hand him over to us. We'll sort him out.....
After today. I'd be up for that.
@Dan
"I am convinced you are of good character, and that due to the sun in your eyes, you accidentally produced a pellet gun and, through no fault of your own, shot the victim (who was daft enough to be riding a bike - a bike! - at the time). I hereby sentence you to 15 minutes community service."
The **** who did this will probably get a reduction in sentence because there was a car and a cyclist involved.
Sadly not an isolated incident. I was riding to watch the Surrey Classic last year with a mate a few dozen yards behind me. He saw a kid shooting at me with a BB gun from the passenger window of a white van.
Luckily, the kid didn't hit me and I didn't know anything about it until a few minutes later. I'd been doing 30+ downhill at the time, and the consequences of getting hit by a BB at that speed make me shudder.
Luckily the bike race meant there were tons of police about, and they managed to pull the van over about 20 minutes after we reported it.
I got off lucky compared to this poor guy though. What low-life scum.
oh, I have the words!
sadly they're un-printable
lost for words