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news
Mangotsfield Old Railway Station on Bristol and Bath Railway Path - via Matt Buck on Flickr Creative CommonsFears cyclists could be "gravely injured" by "speeding" e-scooter gang intimidating users on popular Bristol & Bath Railway Path
Police have undertaken patrols and hope CCTV will soon be in place on the popular Bristol & Bath Railway Path following reports from users of "speeding" youths on "illegal e-scooters" intimidating cyclists and pedestrians, with one local suggesting someone may soon be "gravely injured" unless action is taken against the "group of two or three young guys" travelling "as fast as 50mph".
It is far from the first time Avon & Somerset Police have been informed of safety issues on the 13-mile National Cycle Network route that connects the two cities and is popular with commuters, families and recreational riders. There have been numerous reports of assaults and muggings on the path over the years, although this newest concern appears to involve a new safety worry and regards youths on illegal e-scooters travelling at high speeds and intimidating path users.
BristolLive first reported the story and heard from a cyclist who uses the path and fears someone will be "gravely injured" unless action is taken. They said they have been forced to swerve out of the way of the gang who have been spotted "travelling as fast as 50 miles per hour" for around the past year.
"There is a particular group that are quite clearly identifiable, often in a group of two or three young guys on illegal e-scooters. People have seen them travelling as fast as 50 miles per hour between Easton and Mangotsfield, as well as in Snuff Mills, Staple Hill and Fishponds," they said.
> Sustrans unveils major changes to section of Bristol & Bath Railway Path
"It's scary and I'm more hesitant to go round there. They shouldn't have the derestricted EVs, they should be taken off them. I first saw them about a year ago and it's getting worse."
In response, last month Avon & Somerset Police began patrols on the route, with a statement earlier this month suggesting they had taken place "with the intention to disrupt crime and antisocial behaviour and develop intelligence".
"We are working closely with our partners to respond to reports of crime on the Bristol to Bath Railway Path. Neighbourhood officers have identified the route as a priority area and we continue to make targeted high-visibility patrols in response to public concerns," a spokesperson said.
"Plans to install CCTV along sections of the route are also being progressed by South Gloucestershire Council and partners. All reports are investigated and we would encourage people to continue to report incidents to us. If a crime is in progress, call 999 or call 101 with any other information."
The council followed up the police statement by telling the local press that they will be consulting on proposals to install CCTV next month.
A council spokesperson added: "We want to make walking, cycling and active travel easier for people and recognise the importance of the Bristol and Bath Railway Path being safe and accessible. We have been working with the police and partners to help address some of the anti-social behaviour issues seen recently. As part of this work, in October we will be consulting on proposals which include installing CCTV on the path between Staple Hill and Bitton."
In November 2020, one path user was robbed at knifepoint around the same time as reports of large sticks being left or deliberately thrown onto the route. A Freedom of Information request revealed that 29 offences were reported on the route between March 2019 and March 2020.
A year earlier, a mugger who robbed and assaulted cyclists on the Bristol to Bath cycle path was given a 12-month referral order and ordered to pay his victims compensation after stealing three bikes.
In 2018, a cyclist was threatened with a knife by a gang, while another rider was also hit with a D-lock during an incident that saw one cyclist suffer a shoulder injury. A cyclist who arrived on the scene as the incident was unfolding said they saw a "big commotion happening".
"I kept cycling towards where I was headed and then saw bikes being thrown around and a bunch of teenage kids in the middle of it," they said. "About a dozen or so other cyclists stopped seeing that the path ahead was blocked, I continued on and saw the tail end of the incident.
"The [youths] headed quite calmly away from the scene towards the Greenbank/Whitehall turn-off, I'm not sure which exit they took. One of them confronted me saying 'what the fuck are you looking at?' and being generally threatening. Another of them said to him 'come on! The cops are coming'. Away they went."
In perhaps the most serious incident a cyclist was left unconscious and had their bike stolen after a wire was strung across the path in 2011.
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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23 comments
This isn't just an issue on the B&B bike path - it's a significant issue on some of the London cycle superhighways - riders on illegal e-bikes driving like lunatics and close passing cyclists. Almost all of them are just eat / Deliveroo riders.
In my part of london there are typically 20-30 illegal e-bikes parked on the pavement outside McDonald's whilst the "riders" collect foot orders. The main borough police station is a 2 mins walk away.
Yet for some reason the police can't be arsed to walk up to McD's, seize the illegal vehicles and prosecute the riders for driving with no helmet / tax / motor insurance.
For the cops, it would literally be like shooting fish in a barrel - just wait at McDs and the riders turn up every few minutes. Same with other fast food locations.
There's an all time record number of police officers in London so the only real conclusion to be made is that they've decided not to bother with illegal vehicles anymore.
Sad isn't it. Plod would rather spend his time arresting and jailing you for an offensive FB or X post. Besides, if they showed up and starting confiscating, the left-brigade would show up as they usually do and start protesting in support of those who ride the illegal ebikes, banging on about descrimination. Self-destruction. Planned ...maybe. Either way, Plod is a c**t.
Could you give some examples please?
Come on man, we all know what's going on. The other day immigunts stole two houses and three grandmothers from the next street over from mine and the police didn't even show up because they had sent a riot squad to arrest a man who had a St.George's flag in his back garden and he was jailed for life. I didn't see it personally but a bloke who works with Dave down the pub's brother-in-law knew someone who saw pictures of it on Twitter.
That's what I heard too. Dave knows what's going on.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jun/11/protesters-block-immigra...
Happens a lot in London, but seldom gets reported these days, for personal fear. Occures in Shadwell monthly.
Ah, the old "happens all the time but doesn't get reported" trope beloved of conspiracy theorists everywhere. Peckham is my neighbourhood and I can assure you it doesn't happen "a lot" here, and if you think that this is happening a lot and the Daily Mail and the Telegraph aren't reporting it out of "personal fear" then you are even sillier than your usual trolling shows you to be, they would be all over it.
Trolling eh? Im just a guy with a lot of experience and an opinion. Name calling; the weakest retort of a left-leaning kid. I beleive your statement makes you ignorant, just because you choose not to see it, doesn't mean it isn't happening.
Oh dear, you state that name-calling is the weakest retort and then call me a name. You are a troll dear boy, since you've started infesting this website you have said hardly anything about cycling, you just chuck in nasty right-wing opinions to try and get a reaction. Even on this post you give the charming opinion "You're always going to get sh*tbags at that part of the cycle route in Bristol. Flatten the social housing area, or deal with it. Comes with the territory." Message, social housing = shitbags. Trolling.
P.S. I've lived in London 46 of my 55 years (few years out for university, post-grad and a few years abroad) so as far as "a lot of experience" goes I'd venture to say I probably have more than you of London and what you said about what goes on here is simply rightist, alarmist, Daily Mail-type lies, as shown by the fact that the only example you could find was from 2022 and had to fall back on saying nobody reports it. Pathetic.
They said it was the weakest retort of the left-leaning. Maybe for those on the right it's one of their strongest gambits.
I've not checked lately but I do believe I lean to the left.
I was actually asking for examples of offensive x or fb posts leading to prosecution. If the two year old article you provided is supposedly a link to the '' left brigade'' ,( of which I'm proud to be a member due to my affiliate links with the cycling mafia and evil cycling lobby ) I don't get it.
Well as anyone who has read this site for 5 minutes will know, there's a lot of "not policing illegal stuff on the roads at all" going on (see wtjs and Lancs Police).
But as you seem to be fishing for a rant from someone ... that whole being jailed for social meeja stuff happens all the time, which is exactly why people like the recent UK rioters, some "influencer" rape-y types and Elon Musk himself (is this right?) are currently behind bars, cursing "And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids!"
It's all because of wokery and restrictions on free speech and nothing to do with e.g. people happily leaving records of themselves making threats they allegedly have carried out, or inciting violence they've then participated in. Hence the woman who spread the incorrect info which helped justify some of the recent rioting was er ... not charged.
But anyway, political correctness gone mad (they were big in Japan as I recall).
What I would like to see is people ("left" or "right") showing up at the councils and hassling them about getting trading standards involved where people are selling illegal motorbikes. However it's probably more pertinent showing up at the parliaments and asking for them to actually start giving a monkeys' about this issue, and also BTW have another look into the laws that the food delivery companies are bending (badly...). Or even better asking both to get a serious move on with providing "good enough" alternatives to driving everywhere and indeed taming the motor vehicles!
there's a lot of "not policing illegal stuff on the roads at all" going on
I have been away cycle touring for a week. I was listening to the radio (good digital radio reception in the North Pennines, except for one camping spot in upper Wensleydale) one morning to hear a news item about increased police seizures of 'illegal electric bikes'. One of the usual suspects was interviewed, Ian Duncan Dimwit was on his usual 'stop the terror-cyclists' obsession, but Amol Rajan was not quite on the ball enough to point out to DD that the people he was mostly complaining about were already on illegal bikes which the police were not interested in, so no new laws were required - just enforcement of the existing ones by the disinterested police. It turned out that the 'increased seizures' were just a tiny addition to a very small yearly number across the country. We all know how easy illegal electric motorcycles are to spot- the fat tyres, no pedalling and face masks mean that even the police should be able to manage it- if the police wanted to, they could go out any day in any town and seize dozens. There were at least 10 cruising up and down at Blackpool's Ride the Lights.
I'm sure this is a national problem. Here in Milton Keynes, we have an excellent cycleway network throughout the city, but with so many illegal vehicles now using them, it is too dangerous for young families to go out cycling together. Most bought electric scooters seem to be ridden by youngsters, often two or even three up, and some are massive and very heavy - you wouldn't want to collide with one ! I have reported many instances of near miss to our local police - but - surprise, surprise - they have done absolutely nothing !!!
Amusingly, they think it is a matter of education - "I'm sorry, officer, I didn't know", but when I have a chance to speak to these illegal vehicle riders, the response is often " I couldn't give a damn" or "they have to catch me" - so they all know they're illegal. It doesn't help when shops like Argos are doing a roaring trade in them, with ' Only for use on private land' in the small print !
Come on coppers, confiscate these dangerous scooters and speed pedelecs ( motorcycles) and make our world safer - that's what the police are for, surely?
(slight aside and pedantry) There is certainly a cycleway network, and that is a significant difference from almost all of the rest of of the UK, but the really excellent network appears to be the network of roads.
(Old article with a good "compare and contrast" with somewhere with actual "excellent cycleways" here).
The roads are wide and straight and run directly to places and there is often ample parking right outside (indeed it looks a little like the US if you squint). The roads have good visibility across the town (or rather social safety is reduced for the vulnerable road users who don't have that visibility), in a car you don't have to e.g. switch from one side of the cycle path to the other, don't have to keep going down and up where the road crosses a cycle path. There is high car parking capacity and a large garage right by the station etc.
You're always going to get sh*tbags at that part of the cycle route in Bristol. Flatten the social housing area, or deal with it. Comes with the territory. Sad, but true.
Public figures such as Lord Hogan-Howe using their platforms deliberately to demonise people who ride cycles are giving cover to behaviour like this.
Kind of ironic for a former Chieg of the Metropolitan Police.
I think the answer is appropriately trained and authorised PCSOs, and specialist police units for non-road Public Highways.
The powers needed already exist.
The vast majority of my cycling miles are on 'the bike path' (from the Bath end; mainly commuting); tbh, after years of reading reports on muggings, wire across the path, inappropriate behavour (the elusive 'gooser'), initimidating behavour etc, it's pretty rare to see anything and it's more likely towards the Bristol end, especially later at night. Kamikaze squirrels are more frequent. Regarding 'chipped' e bikes, there were a couple of regulars at commuting times and I've occasionally seen the odd balaclava clad e-motorbike group messing around on there. The police need to nip this in the bud as they're dangerous (especially around pedestrians), very intimidating (e-bike gangs) and cat-nip for the anti-cyclists. The annoying thing is that people who don't cycle on there often, or mainly non-cyclists, just say, "it's dangerous on there!", when it isn't really (compared to some roads). I wasn't (cycle) commuting on it for a couple of years, as I was heading in a different direction, and, when I went back to it, I really appreciated it a lot more. Just get on the path, settle into your pace and slightly zone out.
I guess there are two problems here:
(1) the B&B path is pretty isolated in places, so away from The Public Eye, and
(2) there is abso-f-ing-lutely zero enforcement of illegal e-scooters…
(3) The police *hope* CCTV will be installed, as this gives the appearance of doing something without committing any particular resource. CCTV has a sound record in building evidence when someone is actually looking for it, but how will it work here?A police staffer watching it live and dispatching at the very moment a suspect EV is spotted?
Quick! Someone tell Iain Duncan Smith!!
Beat me to it