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news
Man pushes cyclist off bike in Nottingham (image: Nottinghamshire Police)“This is why we run cameras”: Cyclists share horrifying stories of assault after rider pushed off bike by man in passing van, as police label act as “despicable random attack”
Multiple cyclists have come forward to share their stories of having been assaulted on the road by drivers or passengers in motor vehicles, after a cyclist riding to work was pushed off his bike in Nottingham in March, but the perpetrators have gone unarrested by the police who described the act as a “despicable random attack” and a “nasty unprovoked assault”.
Nottinghamshire Police released footage captured by the cyclist’s rear bike camera at 4am on Saturday 9 March, which showed a silver Peugeot van being driven along Nottingham Road, catching up to the cyclist with a man hanging out of the passenger window with his arms outstretched, ready to attack the rider from a few metres away.
The driver seemed to time the movement of the van to make it easier for the man to shove the cyclist, who ended up suffering facial injuries, bruising to his arms and legs and a swollen knee following the incident. The handlebars, brake levers, and rear axle of his bike were also damaged.
The police said: “Officers have already explored several lines of inquiry as part of their ongoing investigation, including inquiries relating to the van driver and registered keeper.”
PC Jon Lingard, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a nasty unprovoked assault on a man cycling to work. It’s fortunate that he didn’t sustain more serious injuries following this despicable random attack.
“We are now in a position to release this footage as part of our investigation and would ask that anyone who recognises the man pictured to get in touch. We’d also ask that he contacts us if he sees this appeal.”
Anyone who recognises the man or who has any information was requested to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 137 of 9 March 2024, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
> Police appeal over "serious assault" that saw cyclist pushed from bike by car passenger
Following the release of the footage, cyclists, confused and angered, have questioned the police force’s swiftness in acting as well as many others shared their own stories of having faced such acts on the road, justifying why more and more cyclists feel the need to ride with cameras.
One cyclist from Nottingham commented under the police’s Twitter post: “I once got shunted into oncoming traffic at a roundabout by a car driver who resented I was in front of him. I did nothing to irritate them other than follow the Highway Code… scary. If I had not accelerated into traffic and wove my way through it, I would have been mashed.”
Another Nottingham cyclist wrote: “Similar thing happened to me, but it was lads in a car. They pushed me into some railings. They enjoyed doing it enough to turn back and come by again and spook me some more.”
Casey Adams said: “How does our system not have the ability to force the registered owner to identify the driver and the driver to name the suspect?” while Dr Kara claimed: “This is why more and more cyclists run cameras.”
Another Twitter account by the name of Ride Primary TVL, which aims to educate police on the law on behaviour around cyclists, wrote: “Why are you shocked? You spent years refusing to prosecute drivers for their offences against cyclists, making the offenders feel they can get away with anything. You caused this, own it!”
Several others also questioned why the police waited for six months to release the footage. The account Ride Primary TVL also said: “Hang on, f****** March, and now you feign interest. What exactly were you waiting for?”
One person wrote: “You have the plate numbers. Ask the driver, and hold them in contempt and interfering with police investigation if they stay quiet,” while another asked: “You waited until September to ask for help identifying someone from an assault that happened in March? You let this behaviour go unpunished for 6 months?”
road.cc has contacted Nottinghamshire Police for comment.
We have reported on several similar incidents like this in the past. In April this year, Kent Police launched an appeal and released a photo of a man they wish to speak to in relation to a "serious assault on a cyclist" last summer — almost a year later. The case appeared to be that of Katie Good, a female Ironman athlete and immigration lawyer who suffered a broken collarbone when she was deliberately shoved from her bike by a laughing car passenger.
In January 2023, a man was fined £200 by Kilmarnock Sheriff Court for leaning out of an overtaking vehicle and hitting a cyclist with a tub of hair gel, after becoming frustrated that the cyclists were not "moving fast enough".
Another recent case from across the Channel was brought to light when two men in France, whose "only motive was idiocy", were handed a two-year suspended prison sentence after a spree of incidents which saw cyclists pushed into ditches, apparently for "fun".
Adwitiya joined road.cc in 2023 as a news writer after completing his masters in journalism from Cardiff University. His dissertation focused on active travel, which soon threw him into the deep end of covering everything related to the two-wheeled tool, and now cycling is as big a part of his life as guitars and football. He has previously covered local and national politics for Voice Cymru, and also likes to write about science, tech and the environment, if he can find the time. Living right next to the Taff trail in the Welsh capital, you can find him trying to tackle the brutal climbs in the valleys.
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49 comments
“Why are you shocked? You spent years refusing to prosecute drivers for their offences against cyclists, making the offenders feel they can get away with anything. You caused this, own it!”
Spot on; when I used to commute up there I had a passenger lean out a window and throw liquid all over me. On review it was a kid and it was ribena spat out of his mouth (so only disgusting, not toxic). When I asked the cops to have a word (give a warning) I got palmed off with excuses why they couldn't. Makes me wonder if thes scrotes knowing such things are unpunished have progressed years later to this (phsically pushing a person off their bike)!
The driver is every bit as guilty as the passenger surely? They literlly positioned and slowed the van to enable the passenger to do this?
Why aren't they in prison?
This is all far to common and has serious impacts on people's willingness to cycle. My wife wanted to start cycling and literally on her first outing, she was pushed into a ditch by a group of lads in a car. No surprise, the bike was sold and she's never rode again.
Yah, funny how joint enterprise prosecutions for aggravated assault are fine for black kids hanging on street corners, but out of the question for middle aged white men driving vans.
Just tell the Police that the occupants of the van are "far right" that should sort things out
Goodness me the rightwing snowflakes have really been triggered by the fact that people have been arrested and charged for threatening – and in some cases actually attempting - to burn down hostels with human beings trapped inside and other equally unpleasant things, haven't they?
Wait - isn't doing that having that just the same impact as blocking the roads *? Or are you just misconstruing legitimate protest in which some property got damaged? Free speech? They are taking our
right to make a living through violence and shit-stirring while having nice holidays abroadcountry from us!* In theory could mean life or death for someone? Better come for me, I've blocked the roads by a) just cycling b) cycling slowly in a large group of other cyclists, holding up traffic ("critical mass") c) lying down in the road ("die in"). Mind you I get out of the way of emergency vehicles and don't throw things at the police.
Except in the cases where they've been caught vandalising, fire-starting, and threatening life and limb, I was under the impression that "far right" protests tend to get a much easier ride than "far left" or "pro palestinian / anti genocide" or "black lives matter - adjacent" ones do…
Yaxley-Lennon has written a book! Admittedly the absence of anything approaching a polysyllable makes it somewhat dull reading, but he's sure it's going to the top of the best seller charts.
What's the weight? How far can you throw it? Does it burn well?
Asking for a policeman...
Clearly the passenger was far left. So far left he was in danger of falling out of the passenger window if he moved any further left..
You'd get a much better response if you claimed that the occupants were chanting "Just Stop Oil" and were planning on discussing slowing down some traffic.
The police have the registration number of the vehicle. They could say to the registered keeper, "Tell us who the passenger was or we'll arrest you for aiding and abetting attempted murder."
It's not complicated.
Refusing to identify the driver of a vehicle, or the passenger in a vehicle you were driving, when they have committed an offence should, in my opinion, be regarded as obstruction of justice and sanctioned with immediate forfeiture of vehicle followed by, if the refusal continues, a spell in chokey until the offender changes their mind and decides to provide the information.
I've amended one word, hope that's OK.
I'd be very, very happy to see the car crushed and the video posted on social media, even if nothing else was done. People who do shit like that simply shouldn't be allowed to drive.
It's actually easier than that. The passenger would not have been able to do what they did without the active support and participation of the driver.
This is a prima facie case for a joint enterprise prosecution - where the driver can be held to be equally culpable for the offence, even if his collaborator is never identified.
They don't look Black enough for the CPS to bring a joint enterprise prosecution.
What is needed is a bike with a harpoon and an anchor/arrester hook, plus a control system that fires the harpoon, applies the bike's brakes and deploys the anchor. Then you can sit back and savour the look on the goon's face as he flies out of the car window and lands on the road.
On a Pequod frame? Presumably deployed at the Moby Dick Junction?
Outside Starbucks?
Was expecting more appreciation for this comment; a different choice of "classics" now?
Look, just call me Ishmael, OK?
To borrow the joke from "The Vale of Laughter" by Peter de Vries: "Call me, Ishmael, but only in emergencies; for any other matters including reports of non-fatal RTCs, close passes, use of phones at the wheel or speeding the quickest way to report is via the chat bot at your local police website. Please note that the Police do not deal with driving on the pavement / cycle path, parking issues or matters relating to vehicle tax or licencing (especially in Lancashire)".
Please note that the Police do not deal with driving on the pavement / cycle path, parking issues or matters relating to vehicle tax or licencing (especially in Lancashire)"
or with red light offences (especially in Lancashire)- no response or action about this one, where the offending BMW M4 driver wasn't even in the frame when the lights turned red and I could hear him accelerate hard so he was likely exceeding the 50 limit when he crashed the lights
https://upride.cc/incident/a15tjv_bmwm4_redlightpass/
That's not a 'nasty unprovoked assault', that is attempted murder. I hope road.cc and the victim don't let this one pass, because it seems the police are treating this with less respect and urgency than someone name calling on social media such is the allowed contempt and prejudice towards people who ride a bike.
the police are treating this with less respect and urgency than someone name calling on social media such is the allowed contempt and prejudice towards people who ride a bike
Of course! Doesn't that go without saying? Isn't 'the police' the worst single institutional enemy we have?
If prison (which people could argue should primarily be used to keep the public safe from dangerous criminals) is not enough of a deterrent for this... then maybe some other form of punishment?
I advocate for loss of taste buds and libido (or whatever the opposite of viagra is).
Depending on the severity of the first crime it could be temporary.
Any repeat, make it permanent.
Its bromide isn't it ?
Many will disagree, but I consider some crimes understandable. A man unable to find a decent paying work, has a family and eventually steals, is not that great criminal to me.
This kind of vandalism that someone destroyes property or injure people, with no benefit for him/her, is totally incomprehensible to me. These people should be put to prison with hard labour, if they have so much energy and nowhere to let it out.
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