BBC DJ in car keys appeal after cyclist altercation

A BBC radio DJ and Emmerdale scriptwriter has appealed to cyclists after a man on a bike allegedly took his car keys following an altercation on the road yesterday.

Nick Ahad, whose Twitter account says he’s a scriptwriter for Emmerdale, arts journalist and radio presenter for BBC Leeds, said the cyclist took the keys out of his ignition, which included his house keys, at 10.25am yesterday beside Bolton Abbey.

The argument apparently took place after Ahad overtook a cyclist he claims was “causing a tailback”. Ahad says he reprimanded the cyclist, which escalated into an argument. He has appealed to the cycling community to help identify the man and get the keys back.

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Ahad said yesterday: “At 10.25am today, just outside the car park to Bolton Abbey a cyclist was causing a tailback by weaving all over the road to try prevent people over taking him.

“Eventually I passed him.

“Having a fairly low tolerance threshold for idiots just at the minute, as I passed, I put down my window and asked: ‘what are you playing at?’”

“Short story, he lost it. Pulled in front of my car and came over to my driver’s side. As he shouted and screamed, I put my window down to try have a sensible conversation.

“He didn’t like the fact that I was calm and he, in the wrong. He leant in to my car and, before I could react, took my car keys.

"Which meant my house keys too. And rode off.”

Ahad has asked the cycling community to help him find the man, who he describes “skinny, about 5ft10ins, dark complexion, looked sort of Spanish (but spoke with an English accent).” He says the man was riding a black and red racing bike and wearing a black cycling top.

While some have expressed sympathy for the loss of the keys, cyclist Shaun Murray questioned Ahad's actions.

He writes: “You were being a knob in two tonnes of metal, got called on it & expect cyclists to help you?”

Ahad insisted he is a considerate driver, after Murray shared this video explaining how to safely overtake cyclists. Ahad defended his description of events, saying: "I used all my decades of journalism experience to write nothing but fact! I want to hear his sodding version too."