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Fund chief's widow pleads for witnesses to accident
Evening Standard4 Jan 2008
The wife of a fund manager who died after being hit by a cyclist in Holland Park has appealed for witnesses.
Father-of-three Nick Bancroft, 64, was walking to work when the accident happened last October.
Police have not been able to establish exactly how it happened although the cyclist claimed Mr Bancroft walked out in front of him without looking.
Mr Bancroft's wife, Nicky, said: "It's an unbelievable tragedy. Our lives have been blown apart. My husband was just wonderful and it's very hard to handle something like this."
Mr Bancroft, who worked for Mayfair wealth management company Rathbones, was hit at about 7.30am on 24 October at the junction of St Ann's Villas and Royal Crescent. He suffered massive head injuries and died a few days later. An inquest has been opened but cannot be concluded until the police investigation is finished.
Mrs Bancroft said: "Someone must have seen what happened. At that time of day everyone's going to work and it's on a bus route. We don't want this to drag on forever.
"My elder daughter is getting married in the summer and now has no father to walk her up the aisle. Her wedding plans are on hold."
Police have only the 26-yearold cyclist's account of the accident. Sergeant Donald Simpson, of the Met's collision investigation unit, said: "I am very disappointed by the lack of response.
"We desperately need witnesses to come forward. At the moment there is no suggestion the cyclist was speeding. But there are always two sides to a story and sadly Mr Bancroft isn't here to give his. If we could work out the speed it would help us to see if there's any culpability from the cyclist's point of view."
Anyone with information should call the witness line on 020 7388 6806.
Reader views (1)
I am surprised Sergeant Donald Simpson doesn't seem to be aware that cyclists are incapable of speeding. There is no such offence. I wonder if such strenuous efforts would be made were a driver to have killed a cyclist? Given The Met's antipathy toward cyclists I doubt it very much.
- Dr Susan Porter, London, 07/01/2008 09:05
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