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I think a lot of people are missing the point here. It's not against the law to cycle on any road except a motorway, cyclists do not have to move out of the way of cars esp on narrow roads (which seems to be the case here) - although we all try to if possible 99.9% of the time.

- Sam, London, 27/07/2011 22:13
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It's because there is no discussion to be had. There's video evidence of an assault taking place and that's the end of the story. The ill informed posts who have talked about "Ban cyclists" "Pay Road Tax!" etc etc is just column space and has no consequence to this incident whatsoever.

FYI: The guy who punched the cyclist has been arrested, he handed himself in earlier today.

- Bike rider, Car driver, London, Bristol, France, 14/07/2011 14:35
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Interesting how many people here are trying to excuse an assault because of all sorts of unrelated and incorrect reasons.
If this man was willing to attack a cyclist, I'm sure he would attack a pedestrian, motorcyclist, or car driver that he didn't like.

- Tim, London, 14/07/2011 12:58
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Punching a cyclist who is also a lawyer, does it get any better than that?

Cyclists should be banned from all roads which don't have cycle lanes. They should also be required to pass a test and be licensed.

- John Buckeridge, London, 14/07/2011 12:11
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Paul King, you must be Jo King. How would you take it if someone punched you in the head?

- Bike rider, Car driver, London, Bristol, France, 14/07/2011 12:01
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@ roaduser, london.

Look Squire, Bexleyheath is full of dozy chavs looking to make themselves seem 'well ard' in front of their equally sexually inadequate mates. You were unfortunate enough to run into one.

Many, many years ago I used to cycle with Welling Gemini. I've had people try to run us off the road. A bunch of lowlife morons throw eggs at us from a souped out clapped up XR2 copy (ha ha missed! losers!) someone let their dog off the lead so that it could run after us (it got a belt in the face with a cycle pump) and plenty of other general stupidity.

Don't let it get to you matey, I've had mates beaten up in the high street after a night out just for 'looking different' that's just Bexleyheath. You know to avoid it in future.

If you do find yourself out that way again head out past Bexley village, through Darenth, Farningham and Eynesford and on towards Sevenoaks. It's the most glorious ride ever, particularly in a pack on a summers day.

Your bruises will heal but the guy driving that car will always be a sexually inadequate moron with anger management issues.

Chin up and keep those legs pumping!

- Daddy, Kensington, 14/07/2011 10:22
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@Tony, Wiltshire
"I think it's outrageous that anyone should be allowed onto the roads of GB without third party insurance."

Perhaps motorists should put their own house in order first?

What is it 1 in 4 or 1 in 5 motorists in London have no tax or insurance? Think on that the next time you sit in traffic at some lights. You, the car in front, the one behind and the one travelling the opposite way; statistically one of you has no insurance or tax.

- May, London, 14/07/2011 10:00
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Tony, Wiltshire - If you scroll down, you can read that "road tax" does not fund road building, so effectively, cyclists (who are non-car owners) are already taxed and pay for their fair share of the roads through local and general taxation.

However lets say that to appease drivers like you, that cyclists should pay tax, that tax level would be zero. VED ("road tax") is levied according to pollution and emmissions, bicycles (along with electric cars like VW Blue Motion and G Whizz) do not pay VED because they do not pollute.

As for insurance, many cyclists already have 3rd party cover if they are a member of a cycling organisation such as British Cycling. However if you wish to make 3rd party insurance mandatory, how do you wish to fund this? The enforcement etc? There are already hundreds of thousands of uninsured motorists on the road that the police can't keep up with, add to that millions of occasional bike riders and the whole thing becomes unenforcable. Who should be insured? Kiddies with tricycles? Adults with a bike that they pull out of the garage once a year for a ride with the family? Only commuters? How is all this funded and enforced?

Even if it were enforced, insurance, tax and registration does not guarantee road safety. It does not prevent approximately 4000 deaths and injuries on the roads at the hands of motorists every year.

- Headhunter, London, 14/07/2011 09:11
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People - the guy hit me in the head! whether I lost my balance because of the bike is irrelevant! He HIT ME and I did NOTHING to him. He had threatened to run me over for looking at his number plate.
What planet is this?

- roaduser, london, 14/07/2011 00:49
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Agreed, although it's "Did you spill my pint?" If you don't cycle a great deal you are unlikely to experience the kind of bullying that goes on on British roads and if you're vocal about being bullied whilst on a bike, you're labeled a thug.

As i read it - Guys are cycling along, pumped up driver racing up behind and wants to pass 'RIGHT NOW!!'but cannot due to traffic furniture. Starts beeping horn, " 'king bikes etc..." cyclists gesticulate to the tune of "what do you want me to do, it's a narrow road." At this point the angry thug stops and hails abuse, on speeding away the car mirror hits the cyclist and from inside a vehicle that is heard and assumed as a kick or a strike to the car - Exactly what they wanted, giving them an excuse to stop and 'ave a go ! It's at this point someone is punched to the floor. Even of you disregard everything apart from the last sentence, that is unprovoked assault.

All that needed to happen was for the driver to just wait until said cyclists had passed narrow section of road, driver passes - no drama. The very least would be that after 'waiting patiently' behind the cyclists, cursing under his breath, there would have been a few V signs from driver to cyclists as they sped past to the tune of " 'king *^&t, get out of my way " But that is somehow acceptable to drivers !?

Some drivers can't pass a cyclist without feeling the need to abuse them in some way or other. "Me Tarzan, you bike rider"

- Bike rider, Car driver, London, Bristol, France, 14/07/2011 00:35
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Quite frankly, until bikes are either taxed and/or insured they have no right to be on the road at all.

I think it's outrageous that anyone should be allowed onto the roads of GB without third party insurance. Cyclists are not always in the right, and there is never any excuse for this violence.

Thurd party insurance and bike registration should be mandatory if they are going to be used on the road.

- Tony, Wiltshire, 13/07/2011 17:49
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@Roaduser: It's very clear (from the detailed information you have provided) that you were there and have taken this matter personally. We, however, were not. We are therefore, clearly, able to be more objective about the whole situation which has been blown out of all proportion simply because it (the slapping) happened on the road and not outside a bar after closing hours at the weekend. You or your friend provoked this driver by hitting the vehicle he was driving. You or your friend then shouted abuse at him. Thank you for your honesty thus far as these events were not captured on camera. However, do you ever read The London Evening Standard fully? Like those pages where people have been shot and stabbed in London for less?? You'll be telling us that you had to call an ambulance next and that your friend is awaiting surgery (for his broken heart I presume). Now for some perspective: A 16 year old girl was bottled and hospitalized at the weekend. Another child was stabbed to death by cyclists recently and the police have put up a £20,000 reward for information leading to his apprehension. For goodness sake do you really think this is worthy of Crimewatch? "It's now 10 years (2021) since the attack on a cyclist and no one seems to be interested (he yawns) but we are obliged to appeal to viewers to help solve this crime. We believe the suspect may still (yawns again) reside in South London." zzzzZZZZZ

- Paul King, London UK, 13/07/2011 17:05
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There is no denying that the way that young man acted was out of order, but after reading some of the angry knee jerk posts here, I feel I have to point out a few things.
Firstly, there is clearly some bias in this story as there seems to be little mention of the cyclists action towards the car and driver leading up to the incident, reading into it a little more one could take an educated guess and say that some unkind words were spoken towards the driver, and it seems (though not mentioned in this article) that the cyclist struck the car. I don't wish to convey the feeling that the cyclist was at fault, as this if far from the truth, however it is clear that the article was intended to seem more outrageous than the real story, presumably to increase interest and sales.
Secondly I would like to point out to all those people expressing their disbelief at the inaction of the police, that although the driver should be punished, nothing more than a fine would be necessary, he barely struck the cyclist, and I doubt any damage would have been done even if the cyclist hadn't been wearing a helmet, as it stands that little scuffle would have hurt the drivers hand more than anything else, the cyclist only ended up on the floor because he lost his balance while trying to back away.
The last point I wish to make is that the large majority of Motorist and Cyclists are perfectly lovely considerate people, it is just a minority of people on both sides that give everyone a bad reputation.

- Rob, Chester, UK, 13/07/2011 14:43
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I'd like to have all the motorists on here who were fairly one sided in their opinions to ride a bike to and from work for a month. Only then will you fully appreciate what some motorists put cyclists through on a day-to-day basis.

In fact some of you may even loose your lives due to the obnoxious way some drivers use the roads. These are people who are trying to get to work, just like you, and the fact of the matter is that UK roads are very cycle unfriendly, even if Boris would like to tell you they aren't. Even if cycle lanes are present, they certainly are not wide as one post suggested, or are they in any state to ride on.

There is a distinction between cyclist who ride on the pavement or ride the opposite way up a street with no care for pedestrians and the safe cyclists who cycles on the road. In much the same way that all motorists aren't driving 'hot hatches' with whale fins on the back, pumping speed garage out of the stereo.

Most cycles on the road now weight about the same as a laptop, about 3Kg some lighter. Cars weight about 1400kg. Cyclist need to be pretty vocal if that is coming towards you at speed when most likely the driver isn't looking where they are going, or is on a mobile phone, of is doing his/her make up.

Cocooned up in their own world, this is seen as anger and provocation, when it's clearly just a warning that a driver is too close or driving in a way that could cause harm or distress.

Clearly from the posts here, that doesn't compute.

- Bike rider, Car driver, London, Bristol, France, 13/07/2011 14:30
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Many of you seem not to get it. The car cut up the cyclist. A car is a heavy metal object. It was forcing the biker off the road, where he had every right to be.
The biker open handed slapped the car and shouted that he was being pushed off his bike.
The car stopped, the monkeys got out and threatened the cyclist who had ridden 150 miles - really fit and ready to take on a car load of dorks.
The car people then threatened to run over the guy who was punched, who had done absolutely NOTHING. Their car hit his hand, so they stopped, got out again and punched him!!!
The camera was only turned on when the assault looked likely.
Faces are clear, mumber plate is clear - why are they not arrested yet?

- Roaduser, London, 13/07/2011 11:20
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@Leah: I was thinking the same thing. The driver can't punch (even though he tries) and doesn't actually connect with anything other than the palm of his hand to the back of the guy's helmet. So actually the cyclist was slapped after provoking a driver. Surely the police have better things to do than investigate this nonsense.

- Paul King, London UK, 13/07/2011 09:47
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"We remonstrated with the driver, shouting." ...."They stopped again, but this time the driver came over and punched me to the ground." Are you surprised that some drivers don't respond very well to being shouted at?

- Paul King, London, UK, 13/07/2011 09:27
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Chris, Woking

Just to point out that you dont pay road Tax either. You pay VED (Vehcile Excise Duty).

As a cyclist (and driver)im quite willing to pay VED for my bike, but bearing in mind it would fall into Band A and therefore be exempt from VED I will pay zero. If you want me to get a little disc for my bike it will only be drivers who aint exempt who will meet the bill for the admin involved.

- The Horses Mouth, London, 13/07/2011 09:21
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There clearly isn't enough evidence for the police to take the case forward there is "only" one video the met police need far more evidence.

- Mike Melbourne, Bedford, 13/07/2011 08:57
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@chris, woking

roads are paid for from general taxation, not vehicle excise duty. everyone who pays tax has an equal right to use them.

- fred, london, 13/07/2011 05:40
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I was attacked by a motorist, who was driving in a bus lane and clipped me. I shouted at him and so he pulled over in front of me, smashed my bike in two on a fence and tried to stab me. It was noon on a Saturday outside a busy Sainsbury's. The police arrested me as well as him despite 10 eye witnesses and CCTV available to show I did not provoke the attack and used no violence or threats, even when he tried to stab me. He was white in a suit, I am black. I was released three hours later without charge. He was released 3.5 hours later without charge. My bike cost £300 and was destroyed, but more importantly I could have been blinded, maimed or worse by his mindless attack. There was no prosecution, I received no compensation or apology. I trusted the police to get justice for me. Next time I would use reasonable force to disarm the guy then disappear. I wouldn't even call the police. The police don't solve 95% of crime, because most criminal activity is never recorded.. Even with nailed on evidence, they can't be bothered.

- Stephen Marsh, London UK, 13/07/2011 01:40
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Maybe the assailants were off duty policemen and that is why nothing has been done.

- Phil Whithair, London, UK, 13/07/2011 01:14
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The whole cyclist vs motorist argument here is a red herring. This is a violent assault by a clearly identifiable man. If the police can't catch him, what tf are they there for?

- fluffy_mike, London, 13/07/2011 00:34
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Its time cyclist were insured to be on the road. there are many more of them on the roads nowadays occupying large parts of the available tarmac and are a constant hazard not only to drivers but to pedestrians too. Besides the extra revenue could pay for more blue paint on the roads, you never know one day if they contribute enough we could see roads totally blue, with a blackstripe on the kerb for motorists.

- Mr S.Port, London, 12/07/2011 23:18
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The baddies in the video must be recognisable to their neighbours, ex-neighbours, colleagues, old schoolmates, customers, local newsagents, local pub owners, etc etc etc. Strange that nobody has reported them. Looks like over 30,000 people have watched this on YouTube.

Assuming they live round there (and, from the way they dress and behave, it's a reasonable bet), it can't be so hard to identify them can it?

- Ronpert, London, 12/07/2011 22:47
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I guess the police in Bexley the same as in Wales, i.e. you must have failed everything at school and have a relative already there to join up.
No-one intelligent can join in case they solve more crimes than existing police and rumble how incompetent they are...

- Willy, Wales, 12/07/2011 21:40
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" The guy in the car is obviously one of the local thugs who will kick off at the drop of a hat.

Welcome to Bexleyheath - home of the unecessarily aggressive coked up 'geezer'.

- Daddy, Kensington, 12/07/2011 15:28 "


"Daddy"
You said it! Lots of indigenous chavvy Brits live in Bexleheath.

By the way Davey-boy from Chertsey Steve, London,Squiz, IslIngton where are you? You are being conspicuous by your lack of comments, I wonder why.

- Bob, London, 12/07/2011 21:31
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@ Chris The road Tax was abandoned in 1937. Maybe it's time for you to update yourself with "recent" events? As a cyclist and taxpayer I finance the roads - and damage them far less than any motorist.

- CycleNow, London, 12/07/2011 21:13
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@Headhunter. Which club do you race with?

- Powergoon, Dulwich, 12/07/2011 20:47
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Why is ES giving a platform to those who applaud hate crime?

- Austen, London, 12/07/2011 19:48
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I'm glad the London Standard obliged by displaying vehicles registration unlike boring old BBC News Online. Unfortunately the owner of KJ56 HGF, Silver 4-door Peugeot 4-series won't say who was driving. I do hope he's fully comp.
The war between cyclists and drivers will continue. I agree cyclists should require some kind of test before being allowed to use the roads. I would also agree that drivers should be made to sit a theory test every 5 years, and if they fail, must re-sit their practical, because at the moment there are far too many numpties out there who have appear to have completely fogotten that the Highway Code even exists.

- SMac, Edinburgh, 12/07/2011 19:45
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@ Chris, Woking, 12/07/2011 16:13
"And how much road tax do you pay exactly? It is total nonsense to suggest motorists have less right to be on the road than you."

Road building and maintenance is paid for out of general taxation. That fee you pay for the little paper disc which sits on the windscreen is vehicle excise duty (VED), a charge which varies according to the emissions produced by - guess what, a motor vehicle.

Check your facts before mindlessly perpetuating that old myth.

- Rebecca, London, 12/07/2011 19:39
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The police will do nothing because they don't see cyclists as equal on the road.

They may push it through to the crown prosecution service, but again we will be to blame.

We're not allowed to SHARE the road.

- Jo, London, 12/07/2011 19:21
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Keith, King's Cross yes grammar is probably important but nowhere near important as protecting innocent citizens from unacceptable violence. Ok here is my name with capitals Sean O'Leary, you see i can do it and as for ill informed "PC targets" and "cronies" i think that the majority of adults in this country will agree with my understanding of this episode. For the record i was born in walthamstow London E17 which makes me English doesn't it ? If i was born in Ireland i would be Irish - if i was born in Wales or scotland i would be Welsh or Scottish, so yes i am English and not British, calling me british is just another one of the reasons this great country of England is being systematically denied and rubbished in favour of all others from around the world. The police attitude and lack of response in this incidence is nothing short of disgusting !

- Sean O'Leary, Walthamstow London, 12/07/2011 19:20
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that camera is a great piece of kit , where do ya get'em ?

- jodie holland, shrewsbury, 12/07/2011 18:25
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"We remonstrated with the driver, shouting." If you read the story on the BBC News site Mr Page also states that his friend "slapped the side of the car and shouted." So, without wanting to sound too childish, they started it. I'm not saying what the guy did was correct or even justified but the fact of the matter is, they incited him and you can't slap or bang on someones car and start shouting at them without the risk of retaliation. I'd be pretty annoyed if someone deliberately banged on my car as I drove past.

- Uninformedandopinionated, Manchester, 12/07/2011 18:08
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Somebody has to bring these unregistered bike riders to boot,wobbling around all over the road.
I blame Boris.

- Davey_Buoy, Chertsey, 12/07/2011 17:49
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"And how much road tax do you pay exactly? It is total nonsense to suggest motorists have less right to be on the road than you."

I don't know how many times i've heard this. There is NO SUCH THING AS ROAD TAX! It was abolished in 1937

- Gavin, Bristol, 12/07/2011 17:45
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The comments from cyclists here show their abusive and immature attitude, like this gem:

"Its clear I am sharing the road with organisms that would struggle to qualify as pond life."

Shame on them.

- John Smith, London, 12/07/2011 17:40
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Mark, Bishops Stortford

Spot on, you hit it the nail right on the head. Sadly that's UK in 2011. Makes you wonder what you have to do to get arrested and charged really.

- I am the Sid, UK, 12/07/2011 17:38
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- BJ, East London, 12/07/2011 16:28

What exactly is your point?

- Dc, London, 12/07/2011 17:32
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Whether or not you like cyclists is beside the point. This was a criminal offence. The sad truth is that firstly there are too many instances in London where people resort to violence straight immediately and secondly another example of where the Met has failed to act.

- Adam, London, 12/07/2011 17:30
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Why did the bus stop.?

- Andy G, Bahrain, 12/07/2011 17:28
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And how much road tax do you pay exactly? It is total nonsense to suggest motorists have less right to be on the road than you. Just what is the problem with requiring licences for bikes? ....
- Chris, Woking,

I pay as much "road tax" as you. Road tax as a defined method of funding roads has not existed since 1936. You pay VED which goes into the general pot of taxation to fund hospitals, nuclear weapons and schools. Just like the tax you pay on a beer is not "alcohol tax" to fund pubs, and "tobacco tax" does not fund plantations in the West Indies. Roads are paid for by local council tax.

Licencing would discourage cycling, cycling makes sense on so many levels:
Saves money in road maintanence - cycles do effectively zero damage to road surfaces (the weather does more!)
Saves money to NHS in reducing obesity and fewer cars means less pollution means less damage to health
Saves money spent on EU fines as a result of pollution levels (as happens in London)
Saves money in repairing pollution damage to buildings
Saves money spent on public transport

Licencing has been tried in The Netherlands, Canada and other countries and been scrapped as unenforcable and ineffective. Do you really expect every man, woman and child to licence every bicycle and tricycle at the back of every shed and garage in the UK? How do you expect to fund this? Motorists have been licenced for decades but they still kill and maim approx 4000 people per year. Utterly pointless...

- Headhunter, London, 12/07/2011 17:26
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Chris from Woking, are you kidding me?

Can't believe people are still pulling out the old road tax line- there's no such thing. There's Vehicle Excise Duty but that goes into central gov't funds, and is based on a car's CO2 omissions, so a) it explicitly does NOT mean you 'own' the road as a result of paying this tax (the implication being that cyclists have no right to it), and b) either way cyclists tend not to emit too much gas (except perhaps the day after a big curry), so wouldn't be liable to pay for it anyway.

By the way, I and a hell of a lot of 'cyclists' own cars too and do pay VED, so me being on the road either in my car or on my bike is kind of neither here nor there.

Problem really is that some people are idiots regardless of how many wheels they're on- saying 'all cyclists' are this or that is about as useful as saying that a 55 year old female driver going to the shops is the same as an 18 year old hoodie hacking around in his Corsa trying to impress his mates. Yes many cyclists jump red lights and it does my head in too but many car drivers have upteen bad/dangerous habits too.

I think licensing for bikes is a daft, impractical idea that doesn't solve the issue- but I would agree with the idea of compulsory cycle proficiency for all children, including riding on the roads- that way you'll have fewer idiot amateur cyclists and fewer car drivers who have no idea what it's like to cycle on a road and therefore cannot relate to it.

- Matt, London, 12/07/2011 17:23
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Wow, how many people had their cameras out instead of dealing with the situation!!

- Black Knight, London, 12/07/2011 17:22
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I think it was a case of a middle aged man wearing Lycra shorts and dorky helmet getting slapped around by the over zelous fashion police, again over doing it, when a on the spot fine would have been enough.
On a more serious note I will bet you a thousand pounds these these guys were not working class lads or 'chavs' but sons of middle class families.

- Gary, East London, 12/07/2011 17:19
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"It turns out that the registered keeper of the car was not using the car that day and is not on the video."

That's it friend. You are screwed. If the coppers hung on to tens of thousands of damning evidence against Murdoch because they were too scared or too lazy to act, they have no chance of fihnding out which "mate" borrowed that car.

- trip hazard, Cambridge, 12/07/2011 17:08
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"And how much road tax do you pay exactly?" - Chris, Woking.
Do your research first Chris. There is no such thing as road tax.

"Before you ask, I ride as well as drive but am constantly surprised at the attitude of many cyclists towards motorists." - Reading thes post & other previous posts, it is the motorist that seems to have the attitude.

- Dom, London, United Dustbin of Europe, 12/07/2011 17:05
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Hurrah! BJ managed a post without an implausible tale of cyclists mowing down serried ranks of colour-blind ginger pensioners! It's a miracle! When oh when will this carnage end! Three deaths a year!!
May I interject some facts into this debate?
In the years 2001-5 in London (the most recent stats we have), there were 534 pedestrians killed in collisions with motor vehicles, and just 1 involving a cyclist (and no reason to believe that this one cyclist was breaking the law). During that same period, 3 cyclists, 7 pedestrians and 7 motor vehicle occupants were killed in collisions where a motorist jumped a red light. Two cyclists got themselves killed by jumping red lights (i.e. fewer than the number of cyclists killed by red-light-jumping drivers), while 7 motorcyclists got themselves killed the same way. Jumping a red light on a bike is illegal and can be dangerous; jumping a red light using a motor vehicle is just as illegal but causes a lot more death and injury. As for pavements, there were 17 pedestrians killed in London in 2001-5 by motor vehicles on pavements or verges, and not a single cyclist. For Britain as a whole, there are typically around 40 pedestrians killed each year on pavements or verges by motor vehicles – that’s getting on for 1 a week. By contrast there have been just 2 pedestrians killed by a cyclist on a pavement in the whole of this decade.Let's not have this debate descend into cyclists v pedestrians. We've got enough on our plates, see below.

- Harry Cole, Bow, 12/07/2011 17:02
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Maybe the cyclist jumped a red light in front of the car. No excuse to punch him though. Maybe the motorist was on drugs, which is popular nowadays.

- Michael, Kensington, UK, 12/07/2011 17:01
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"I'm puzzled, what exactly do the police do these days?"

I can answer that Stephen; when they are not taking money of chavvy filth to line their pockets,they are taking thousands of pages of damning e mail evidence aginst Ruper Murdoch and hiding it away for 6 years because it was all too much trouble to do anything with it.

It wouldn't be sad, if every word of that were not documented truth.

- trip hazard, Cambridge, 12/07/2011 17:00
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Chris, of course cyclists have more rights than drivers. Any cyclist is allowed on the roads. Motorists HAVE TO BE LICENSED. You know, that thing called a DRIVER'S LICENSE. And VED ("Road Tax" was abolished 74 years ago, keep up!) And an MOT. This is eminently sensible since vehicles apart from pedal bikes cause daily carnage on the roads. Bikes don't. Simple! Plus, an awful lot of drivers (see below) are sociopaths who think vulnerable road users should be assaulted and attacked. More motor vehicles on the roads = more accidents. More cyclists on the roads = fewer accidents--Google Virtuous Cycle Cyclists, it's a worldwide phenomenon, more cyclists makes roads safer.

The low grade thuggery on the roads and in these comments is the reason more cyclists are using helmet cams to catch the mouth-breathing troglodytes like the one in the clip. That particular gimp who can't even punch properly will be grassed up any second now by his lowlife mates, sooner the better.

- Harry Cole, Bow, 12/07/2011 16:38
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Harry Cole, you are priceless. Only last week I suggested that cyclists are stupid citing the statistic that .5 of a pedestrian was killed by cyclist over the past three years, which means that the last occasion a cyclist killed a pedestrian was six years ago! Although you have modified it to .5 of a person a year it still defies logic that cyclists do not cite the last time a whole person was killed by a cyclist. What about some proper research before quoting statistics, for example from 2010, “Last year, Jim Fitzpatrick, then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said in a written reply to a question in the House of Commons that 29 pedestrians had been killed in Britain in accidents involving cyclists between 1998 and 2007, compared to 7,692 who were killed in collisions with motorised vehicles.”

- BJ, East London, 12/07/2011 16:28
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- Headhunter, London, 12/07/2011 14:53
And how much road tax do you pay exactly? It is total nonsense to suggest motorists have less right to be on the road than you. Just what is the problem with requiring licences for bikes? Before you ask, I ride as well as drive but am constantly surprised at the attitude of many cyclists towards motorists.

- Chris, Woking, 12/07/2011 16:13
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Police only work for the public if you slip them some money from what I hear!

- serox, London, 12/07/2011 15:51
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Reading the comments of some "drivers" here makes me more aware that I need to be even more careful when out on my on my bike. Its clear I am sharing the road with organisms that would struggle to qualify as pond life.

Clearly we cyclists have not only to think for ourselves but a proportion of those around us as well!

Just last night I was brought to a halt by a young guy in a Silver BMW M3 driving straight at me on the wrong side of the road, So I stopped he started hooting and flashing, I remained where I was, he got out attempting to appear threatening!!!! (what a jerk) I asked him what he thought he was doing on the wrong side of the road? trying to F'ing park was the reply!

I told him to get a licence and remained where I was he had to pull round me to f'ing park!

- Mr G Myers, East London, 12/07/2011 15:43
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I don't give a stuff about the childish "cyclist v motorist" kerfuffle that in itself causes grown men to behave like idiots (shame on all the morons on here bleating "what about cyclists?" etc)

I do know this was an act of thuggery of the worst kind, and that the individual who perpetrated it should be taken off the streets.

And Bexley CID, if, with all the video evidence now at your disposal, you fail to act on this, you won't only leave this thug free and confident to do this again. Because he WILL do this again, make no mistake.

You will have confirmed what many decent law-abiding people have suspected for years: namely, that the police all too frequently side with the criminals.

- Dave Markham, London, UK, 12/07/2011 15:31
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I'm originally from Bexleyheath and Bexley village is tight in terms of road space to say the least.

You cannot overtake anything through the village because the high street is way too narrow and full of speed bumps.

A lot of cycling clubs go that way through the village the beautiful countryside beyond and all the locals tend to give the the time and space they need to get through.

The guy in the car is obviously one of the local thugs who will kick off at the drop of a hat.

Welcome to Bexleyheath - home of the unecessarily aggressive coked up 'geezer'.

- Daddy, Kensington, 12/07/2011 15:28
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Love this comment by 'barry1858' "no one should stop cars driving at 30mph. Forcing cars to go slower than this is more polluting".

30mph is a speed LIMIT. I cycle and drive and have equal rights when I am doing both. If you're going to go on about cyclists going through red lights then what about cars speeding? Both no doubt cause accidents and yet people continue to them.

Also slowing down REDUCES pollution... Partly why the Green party want to introduce 20mph limits in all built up areas (I don't support this before you think I'm a green enthusiast). It's ridiculous to accuse bikes of holding cars up. What about when cars cause traffic jams? Surely they're in the way of bikes they should all pull over to the left to let cyclist past?

Until you regularly cycle and drive keep your ridiculously biased comments to yourself.

- Rob, London, 12/07/2011 15:28
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amazing how many people confuse people on bikes with "cyclists"
To the lady who claimed to have £3k of damage done with a key I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!!!!!

- Fed Up, East London, 12/07/2011 15:20
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I am a cyclist too, and during the 6 months I temporarily lived in London, I was subjected to many verbally abusive and physically threatening assaults. Not because I cut anyone up. Not because I committed a traffic offence, or caused a motorist to serve, or because I behaved in an offensive manner towards a motorist, but purely because I was riding a bicycle somewhere on a public road, somewhere near a car. I have had eggs thrown at me from a passing car (reported to Croydon Police; nothing done) and there have been other incidents, too many to remember, when the F word has been used, I have been spat at, or jeered at, or I have been told to "F-ing well get off the road". Not from intoxicated football hooligans, but from sometimes middle-aged, apparently middle-class men and women who should no better.

It is morally reprehensible that the police, in the case highlighted here, failed to act. The culprit is clearly facially-identifiable and the video cannot be argued either way.

Shame on your Bexley Police and Metropolitan Police. As Public Servants to these cyclists, you are duty-bound to act.

- Aron Kristiansson, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, 12/07/2011 15:02
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Oh dear, here we go again with the stereotypes. Lumping all police together, all cyclists together, all drivers together. The simple fact is there are selfish drivers and selfish cyclists. I drive and cycle and almost all drivers I know are courteous and most cyclists I know also drive and know what it's like to get held up. The simple fact of the matter is these guys were cycling as considerately as the roads would allow and some impatient thug didn't like it and committed an assault. This is not about cyclists vs car drivers. This is about decent people vs thugs.

- Mark, Bishops Stortford, UK, 12/07/2011 14:57
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Can't believe these comments, London truly is a cesspit of Chavs.

- Mike, London, 12/07/2011 14:57
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Come to think of it, who are these numpties who descend on any story about cyclists to support violence against people for no other reason than they choose to cycle to work? Are all the thuggish posts below the work of one person? Are they paid by a sinister millionaire whose wife ran off with a cyclist or something? It's baffling, every single time there's a story about cyclists these rather odd contributors pop up. Suppose there was a story about roadworks or something and a reader posted


"Car Drivers!?! Who cares, THEY KILLED DIANA!!!"


Sheesh, get a flipping grip, there's an elephant in the room people, 3000 deaths a year at the hands of drivers, on average half a death a year caused by cyclists, and I'm amazed it's not more the way Ipod-wearing zombie pedestrians mill about in a slack-jawed vacant manner in the middle of the chuffing road.


Let go of your rage, rage leads to anger, anger leads to The Dark Side.

Get a bike.

Get those endorphins flowing, be happy. That's what you want, sight? To be happy? And not to endlessly wibble on about how many times cyclists have killed you, punched kittens or sawed your wife's head off.

For the record, I've cycled in London for twenty years, 15 miles a day, and have only had one accident when a pedestrian walked into me on London Bridge, then spat at me. "Would you do that at home?" I asked. "I don't have a bridge at home" she snarled.

You can't win.

- Harry Cole, Bow, 12/07/2011 14:54
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"whilst cars comply with the 20 mph limit, virtually no cyclist does. On the busy A316 (a major artery), other road users are regularly held up by cyclists who insist on using a busy and dangerous road (often without lights), despite wide cycle lanes provide on the pavement."

I sincerely doubt that the majority of cyclists in West London are travelling at more than 20mph for any sustained period, other than downhill. Seriously, I race bikes and I am very aware of average speeds attained by various levels of cyclists. Your average London cycle commuter barely reaches 18mph and probably averages around 15mph if that. As for cyclists blocking major roads, well I'm afraid as tax paying members of the public, they have every right to ride on the roads. I cycle through London on the way to work everyday and I am forced to slow down and stop by nose to tail motorists blocking the road ahead. Do I get irate? Do I demand that all motorists should be off the road? No!

- Headhunter, London, 12/07/2011 14:53
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"encouraging bycicle events on the roads should be STOPPED"

Why? So that motorists can speed? Or perhaps so that they can sit comfortably brain dead in their cars, nose to bumper with the car in front... Motorists do not pay for or own the roads. People on bikes have a right to ride in groups if they wish. I don't believe cyclists should purposely block the roads but if drivers have to slow down for other road users then TOUGH. Leave earlier.

"Get cyclists OFF THE ROAD OR LICENSE THEM!!!!!"

So where should they go? On the pavement with the peds? As explained above, motorists do not own the road, in fact motorists are required to be licenced as a result of the huge threat to safety they represent (approx 4000 deaths and injuries per year due to motorist RTAs). Pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders etc have a natural right to the road, in the eyes of the (albeit outdated law), motorists are the visitors to the road who are required to be licenced and taxed.

- Headhunter, London, 12/07/2011 14:45
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LondonKen, Jane, Janet, barrry1858, Mike London

You really are proof that society has broken down with your he deserved it attitude, you are the product and cause of the sad state of this country. These thugs don’t need any provocation to react like this, they would just as easily smash you in the head for looking at them the wrong way as they would this man. Please take a look at yourselves and your warped attitudes. Maybe next time it might be you on the receiving end.

- Dc, London, 12/07/2011 14:42
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Wow - how polarised this is.

There are good and bad cyclists and there are good and bad car drivers.

There is and can be NO EXCUSE for what the driver in this video did.

It is depressing that with such clear evidence the Police are not making progress.

Since when does a 30 mph speed limit mean you are not allowed to go slower than that?

- Roaduser, Twickenham, Middx, 12/07/2011 14:40
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Unbelievable! I filmed this clip and frankly some of the comments on here are just as moronic as the behaviour in the clip. Like the rest of our group, I drive too (did you really think we didn't???) and have to put up with stupid cyclists and stupid drivers alike. Do I ever think that justifies getting out and thumping them? Would any reasonable person? As the title states, all the rider in the clip did to "deserve" was be parked in the drivers way as he drove off. It wasn't rush hour - it was mid Sunday afternoon, we were riding single file and we were obeying all the rules of the road. There's no footage of before the clip because I only turned the camera on when I saw it all kicking off. We had just ridden 150 miles to Dover and back and, funny enough, weren't looking for a fight with a motorist. There is absolutely no justification for anyone suggesting anything in this clip is in any way our fault! We were training for a charity ride to raise money for cancer care for Christ's sake!

- Cormac, (witheld), Herts, 12/07/2011 14:38
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How does this story suddently become about how poor the police are, in the grand scheme of things this isnt the worse crime in history, they are not going to tell the paper the whole facts and they now have to identify the driver!

Why dont people let the police investigate first and then see what happens, people dont get arrested wihtin 5 minuts of an incident. I understand that all the posters here know the criminal justice system, the police arrest and interview system, CPS criteria inside and out so you should know what happens and how longs things take

- Steven Jones, London, 12/07/2011 14:18
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I was sat in my car having dropped off some kittens at an old folk's home. A horde of lycra-nazis descended on my car and didn't eleventy million pounds of damage for no apparent reason. When I remonstrated, they punched the kitten, sawed my wife's head off, and laid waste to the entire town centre. Luckily, this was Lewisham so the property damage was less than £30.

Get a grip you numpties, the total number of uninsured cars on our roads is higher than the total number of cyclist commuters.

This was an outburst of thuggery, entirely unprovoked, that the cops have shrugged their shoulders at. Some of you posting have more in common with the skinhead thug in the clip than normal, humane, balanced people who realise the road is a shred space.

- Harry Cole, Bow, 12/07/2011 14:15
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Eu achava que somente em São Paulo / Brasil acontecia essas coisas. Lamentavel como no mundo inteiro há pessoas arrogantes, agressivas e sem autodominio.
Para esses, só lamentos.

I thought only in São Paulo / Brazil did these things. Unfortunate as there are people around the world arrogant, aggressive and without self-control.
For these, only mourning.

- Rafael Munhoz, São Paulo/ Brazil, 12/07/2011 14:13
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My advice to that man would be get yourself down to the nearest gym, because that was a rubbish punch absolutely shocking in fact….

- Tony south of london, Bristol England, 12/07/2011 14:13
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36 mph in a 30 mph your nicked,get punched in the face by a thug oh well.

- D Collison, Bracknell, 12/07/2011 14:11
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I ride a cycle everyday, and there are huge number of selfish cyclists on the road. What about changing the appalling attitude of these cyclists towards drivers and pedestrians as well.

- multicolouredsocks, uk, 12/07/2011 13:59
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Such thuggery is not uncommon in London. About 3 years ago, in Balham, I remonstrated with a driver who almost knocked me down because he believed a red light didn't apply to him - the light had been at red for some time before he approached, and I was on a green man. Well, his response was asking me if I wanted him to get out of his car and "bang me about".

I gave his registration number to the police, but was told there would be little point pursuing it as I had come to no harm. Kind of reminds me of the time when I was mugged, and the police said they were too busy to help me that evening, and asked me to drop in a statement to them in the morning.

- Rupert Rigsby, Bleak House, 12/07/2011 13:47
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I have little sympathy with cyclists these days. They seem to think that they are above the law and flout pedestrian crossings and red lights. Only yesterday morning I almost got mown down half way across the pelican crossing on the Strand by a cyclist who made no attempt to slow down, let alone stop for a red light. Perhaps cycles should have number plates and hold 3rd party insurance like every other road user.

- graham, london, 12/07/2011 13:42
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I had my door mirror kicked off by an irate cyclist who said i drove too close to him .
He was wieving accross two lanes to deliberately hold up traffic at rush hour.
These cyclists should be made to use the foot paths and kept off the roads
They think they have some god given right to upset vehiclur traffic instead of just grtting from a to b like the rest of us

encouraging bycicle events on the roads should be STOPPED . because all the cyclists think they are saving the planet . THEY ARE NOT

- greentea02, london, 12/07/2011 13:40
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Again, only listening to one side of the story. I don't condone violence but this is only a few seconds of the incident.

I hooted a cyclist one day coz he pulled out right in front of my car. He went absolutely berserk and then did £3k worth of damage on my car with a key back to front.

If my husband or son had managed to get hold of this guy exactly the same would have happened. If this had been videoed you would not have seen what the cyclist had done earlier.

Get cyclists OFF THE ROAD OR LICENSE THEM!!!!!

- Karenf, London, 12/07/2011 13:34
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I believe the Police traced the driver, but he said that the car had been left with the keys in the ignition and it had be taken by someone else on the day, but returned later.

Bexley CID sound like the Keystone Cops!

- Tim, London, 12/07/2011 13:27
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I have to turn right across a busy road every morning on my way to work. I am frequently hassled and often physically shunted to try and push me out in front of oncoming traffic so that the following car can save a few seconds.

- Patrick, Dalston, 12/07/2011 13:25
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That does make a change though, it's normally the cyclists who are foul-mouthed.

- Nick, London, 12/07/2011 13:06
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We must find this guy.With a straight left like that we can sentence him to compete in the Olympics.

- dave, london, 12/07/2011 13:06
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The Police! Not fit for purpose.
Too busy working out ways to bank those bungs from the Murdoch cronies.

- Count Nosferatu, Transylvannia, Romania, 12/07/2011 13:05
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Some motorists think they should be the only ones on the road. And people wonder why some cycle on the pavements.

- Dom, London, United Dustbin of Europe, 12/07/2011 12:59
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Sorry, but cyclists consider themselves a law to themselves. I live in West London where they often ride three abreast. In Richmond Park, whilst cars comply with the 20 mph limit, virtually no cyclist does. On the busy A316 (a major artery), other road users are regularly held up by cyclists who insist on using a busy and dangerous road (often without lights), despite wide cycle lanes provide on the pavement.

- LondonKen, London, 12/07/2011 12:52
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And to the idiot cyclist who was weaving all over Essex Road last night, going through red lights, up and down pavements,riding on the wrong side of the road etc - this is how SOME drivers will react to cyclists - so be careful!

- Jane, London, 12/07/2011 12:49
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So, if I leave my car unlocked, someone takes it, and the car is used to attack a police officer then returned to me, I would face no penalty? I don't think so!

- Harry Cole, Bow, 12/07/2011 12:48
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Well the reg. number was plain to see .The police should get the info as to where the man lives and go round to his home ( I think 15 will do ) and question him then book him for any offence they can think of. I'm sure if there isn't one they can just make it up .

- Hamilton Straker, Ealing West London, 12/07/2011 12:44
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Not surprised at the reaction of the police. Events of the past few weeks demonstrate the Met's commitment to crime fighting. If it's not something they can hand a spot fine for, they're not interested. You have to wonder if they're more interested in keeping crime stats down than protecting the public. The owner of the car must know who was driving it and he has clearly committed a serious assault and should be put before a judge.

- Danny Bananas, Sutton, 12/07/2011 12:43
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That bloke can't even throw a proper punch.....Hayes next opponent perhaps?

- Lee, Leafy Essex, 12/07/2011 12:40
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Looked like a very brave motorist,its a shame the cyclist wasn't able to knock this cowardly b##tard spark out.

- bazza, London, 12/07/2011 12:40
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Oh dear, Sean O'Leary (I put in my own capitals). With your lovely "native" British name, you are surely in no place to make your rather ill-informed and poorly written claims about "PC targets" and "cronies". Better grammar might be one way of looking less ignorant.

- Keith, King's Cross, 12/07/2011 12:32
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So what, Cyclists push us pedestrians out of the way on the pavements and they are very aggressive. But when it is done to them by a motorist they start crying: boo hoo, the nasty motorist hit my poor little hand.

- Janet, London, UK, 12/07/2011 12:29
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Cyclists would be advised to pull over and let cars pass if they are stopping the cars from 'making progress' for any period of more than 10 seconds. In a normal built up area the speed limit is 30mph and in good conditions no one should stop cars driving at 30mph. Forcing cars to go slower than this is more polluting and frustrating than it should be and it is simple courtesy to allow vehicles to pass if you are, as no doubt these bikes were, riding significantly less than the speed limit. This applies to 'slow coaches' on 60mph country roads, as well. None of what I have said excuses the behaviour of the violent moron in the video who should be tasered and then forced to walk around with a 25 kilo ball and chain attached to his foot for two months.

- barry1858, Welwyn, 12/07/2011 12:26
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Sean, sorry to rain on your parade, but the Labour party stopped being responsible for the police in May last year. The guy looked more like an angry Lib-Dem voter to me anyway.

Shameful that Inspector Knacker hasn't tracked him down yet.

- Pilsbury, London, UK, 12/07/2011 12:26
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If I remember correctly, that does not mean that the cyclist cannot sue the driver as a civil case does it?

- RNOHF, London, 12/07/2011 12:25
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This happens on a daily basis, and everyone says that we must change our attitude towards cyclists... I think car's should record how cyclists cut drivers off, push in, shoot through lights, talk on their mobiles, squeeze in between other cars and then when we actually hoot or let cyclists know theyve done wrong, they swear, threaten and punch cars then cycle off.. Cyclists - dont act all innocent! You know how you ride and act on the road and the laws need to change!!

- George H, London, 12/07/2011 12:23
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Well nowadays it seems the police will only bother to investigate if the guilty party are willing to come forward and admit to it themselves! These last few days they come across as a joke....

- George Ellis, London, 12/07/2011 12:21
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Have you ever tried to report a crime at a Police station in London? The lengths they go to to dissuade you from proceeding are astonishing. The desk staff have obviously been trained in these matters. People are losing a lot of respect for Police Officers, and it's all the fault of politicians.

- Ted, London, 12/07/2011 12:18
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The police are the same everywhere, not just in London. That thug should be in custody by now.However, some of the comments here are absurd. I thought I'd stumbled onto the Mail site by mistake.

- Bill, Ealing, 12/07/2011 12:13
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The cops said the registered owner left the keys in the car. His story was:
"Someone must have stolen my car, driven around for a bit, assaulted someone, then returned the car undamaged".

"Ah, that's ok then!" Said the cops.

Case closed.

Feral scum like this act in this way because they know the police are useless.

- Harry Cole, Bow, 12/07/2011 11:52
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I'm puzzled, what exactly do the police do these days?

- Stephen C, LONDON, 12/07/2011 11:50
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This happens all the time in South London, the police simply do not have the resources. Unless you are severely injured by an assault, the police won't bother. Those guys in the car should not be let off the council estate, thats for sure.

- Mike, London, 12/07/2011 11:48
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It seems that the group of cyclists provoked the car driver by shouting at him. Sadly all too common behaviour by cyclists towards both moterists and pedestrians along with falling to stop at red lights, riding on the pavement. Perhaps, the odd bit of "self help" by motorists may act a catalyst to help cystists become courtious and responsible road/pavement users!!

- Mike, London, 12/07/2011 11:45
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Given the pathetic state of policing motorists and their transgressions, the only surprise is that the cyclist hasn't yet been arrested for assault for "biting" the hand of the motorist.

- May, London, 12/07/2011 11:33
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If the owner of the car knows who the alleged assailant is, then he must, by law, tell the police. If the owner says they don't know, then they should be prosecuted for allowing their car to be used etc. The police need to take these incidents far more seriously, and the video footage makes it easy for them.

- bob smith, Stratford, East london, 12/07/2011 11:24
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I wonder if the police earned a referral fee ?

- Chris, Rochester, 12/07/2011 11:22
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When it comes to the Metropolitan Police investigating anything do not hold your breath, that is why 'Yeats of the Yard' is answering MP's questions today following his abortive investigation into phone hacking !!!

- nick.holland, bearsden, 12/07/2011 11:19
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