Police caution one cyclist and seek two others in connection with violent road rage attacks on drivers

Police have cautioned one cyclist and are seeking two others in connection with two road rage incidents in recent days.

On one occasion, a 51-year cyclist followed a driver home and punched him in the face for hooting at his group ride when he wanted to pass.

On another, a driver was hauled from his seat and threatened with his house being burned down after he narrowly avoided hitting a pair of cyclists in a layby.

On April 20, Kim Chapman was punched outside his home in Goose Green, Surrey.

He told the Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser that he had passed a group of six cyclists earlier on his way home.

He said: "I was quite happy following them because they were doing about 25mph, but when they indicated to turn left I thought that I could overtake them on the right without affecting them."

He said he hooted his horn to let the riders know that he was about to pass.

But on arrival at his home he heard a knock on his car window.

"I opened the door and, in hindsight, that was a mistake, but I did not think that I had done anything wrong," he said.

"There were quite a few cross words shouted, and then he punched me in the left eye.

"It wouldn't have been such a problem if I hadn't previously had surgery on the very same eye in December 2012.

"I was so shaken up. I really did not know what to do with myself. My mother heard the commotion outside our house and she was shaking a lot too. I don't think she stopped shaking for the entire day.

"It was horrible. Nothing like this has happened to me before and I hope nothing like this will ever happen again."

Local police confirmed that a 51-year-old man from Dorking had been cautioned following the incident.

She said: "Officers arrested the offender on Sunday, April 20, after an altercation between the two men."

Just ten days later, two cyclists in Thurnham, Lancaster, who had pulled into a layby, were nearly hit by the car following them when it swerved to avoid another car coming the other way.

The cyclists then verbally abused the driver of the car, allegedly grabbing his arm and attempting to pull him out of the vehicle.

The cyclist allegedly threatened to kick the driver’s head in, find out where he lives and burn his house down.

The driver managed to take a picture of one of the riders, which can be seen here.

PC Faye Tinker and PC John Bradshaw, from Lancaster & Morecambe Police told The Visitor: “We would appeal to the public in order to provide any information in regards to the identification of the cyclist.

“The car driver and passenger were on holiday in the area and were shocked and traumatised by the incident.

“This is not the image we wish to leave with people visiting the area and we would like to speak to the cyclists to obtain their version of events.”

Anybody with any information can call police on 101 quoting Crime Number BA1405431.

A few weeks ago we reported that two cyclists had appeared in court in South Africa in connection with a road rage incident in Cape Town in which a van driver was punched and assaulted with pepper spray.

The incident was filmed by the occupant of a nearby car and can be seen below:

The cameraman Symon Scott said: “There was a lot more going down than what you can see in the video."