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Cyclist injured by axe-wielding youths during attack along popular trail

The gang of four teenagers were carrying an axe and a knife and left the rider needing hospital treatment for injuries to his head, arm and leg

A cyclist was injured during an attack by armed teenagers along a popular trail in Weymouth on Saturday night.

The incident happened on the Rodwell Trail in Dorset between 21:50 and 22:05 BST on Saturday, and saw the victim, a cyclist in his 40s, suffer injuries to his head, arm and leg, police have said.

While he was cycling behind Weymouth Outdoor Centre a group of four teenagers — one carrying an axe and another a knife — attacked the rider and took his baseball cap and a backpack containing a bike lock.

The cyclist was taken to hospital, and the youths are described as white, aged between 14 and 18, and wearing dark clothing. Det Sgt Gareth Jones of Weymouth CID said it was an unprovoked and nasty attack.

"We are determined to find those responsible and are conducting a number of enquiries," he said.

"I am urging anyone who witnessed the incident or may have any information about the offenders to contact us as soon as possible."

Mayor of Weymouth Ann Weaving said she was "upset and disgusted" by the incident.

"All I can say is that I blame the education system," she told the Dorset Echo.

"Children and teenagers don't have a clue nowadays about basic good behaviour. Most children don't know the Lord's Prayer. I've even noticed during the Platinum Jubilee that the youth of today don't even know the words to God Save the Queen.

"I just hope the man who was involved is okay. It's so upsetting and disgusting to hear something like this happening."

Dorset Council's website says the Rodwell Trail is popular with pedestrians, cyclists and dog walkers. It is a 3.5km trail along Weymouth's old railway line and Sandfoot Castle.

The shared-use path is part of National Cycle Network Route 26 and is fully surfaced.

Attacks on cyclists by groups of youths has been a recurring problem on the Bristol and Bath Railway Path in recent years. In 2020, one man was robbed at knifepoint, while several cyclists reported seeing large sticks being left in the path to block their route.

In 2017, on the same route, a Bristol woman reported her and her friends being ambushed by a group of youths in an attempt to steal their bikes.

Dan joined road.cc in 2020, and spent most of his first year (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. At the start of 2022 he took on the role of news editor. Before joining road.cc, Dan wrote about various sports, including football and boxing for the Daily Express, and covered the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Part of the generation inspired by the 2012 Olympics, Dan has been 'enjoying' life on two wheels ever since and spends his weekends making bonk-induced trips to the petrol stations of the south of England.

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32 comments

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mark1a | 1 year ago
1 like
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grOg | 1 year ago
3 likes

Mayor of Weymouth Ann Weaving said she was "upset and disgusted" by the incident.

"All I can say is that I blame the education system".. 

I'd start with blaming their parents..

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Steve K | 1 year ago
8 likes

Maybe it's just me - and I say this as a Christian - but I'm not convinced that whether or not they know the words of the Lord's Prayer is a significant consideration here.

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NPlus1Bikelights replied to Steve K | 1 year ago
2 likes

Actual thoughts and prayers.

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chrisonabike replied to Steve K | 1 year ago
0 likes

Maybe the suggestion is if nabbed the could claim "benefit of clergy" for a lighter sentence?

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EM69 | 1 year ago
2 likes

This is awful and I hope they are caught or at least taught a lesson preferably by another group of cyclists. At least because the perpetrators were white they were allowed to give a description. 

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capedcrusader replied to EM69 | 1 year ago
2 likes

Yep Inspector Clouseau, that'll narrow it down to pretty much all white kids of school age 14-18 practically all of whom wear dark clothing or have said clothing for their attire. 

 

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dubwise replied to EM69 | 1 year ago
0 likes

EM69 wrote:

At least because the perpetrators were white they were allowed to give a description. 

???

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Rendel Harris replied to EM69 | 1 year ago
4 likes

EM69 wrote:

This is awful and I hope they are caught or at least taught a lesson preferably by another group of cyclists. At least because the perpetrators were white they were allowed to give a description. 

Is it racist troll day on here today? Can you provide a single example of the police failing to provide a description of non-white perpetrators?

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andystow replied to Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
3 likes

Rendel Harris wrote:

Is it racist troll day on here today? Can you provide a single example of the police failing to provide a description of non-white perpetrators?

I think he's saying the descriptions of non-white people don't help him because "they all look the same."

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srchar | 1 year ago
9 likes

Mayor wrote:

the youth of today don't even know the words to God Save the Queen

God save the Mayor
A fascist at prayer
They made her a moron
Potential facepalm

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eburtthebike | 1 year ago
9 likes

Best wishes to the victim for a swift recovery, and I hope the police and community will be assiduous in their pursuit of the perpetrators.

"Children and teenagers don't have a clue nowadays about basic good behaviour. Most children don't know the Lord's Prayer."

Maybe they weren't christians?  To boldly state that ignorance of some religious rote learning means that you'll attack innocent people is so utterly absurd that it's delusional.  Religion is probably responsible for more deaths than any other reason.

"I've even noticed during the Platinum Jubilee that the youth of today don't even know the words to God Save the Queen."

I don't know them either, but I'm a republican and anti-royalist, so maybe these attackers weren't royalists either.

To assign the causes of a vicious, unforgiveable attack like this on religion and bowing to the relatives of people who were the biggest bastards hundreds of years ago and have no intention of sharing their ill-gotten gains is risible.

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nordog | 1 year ago
3 likes

On Route 4 near Warmly, a rider hit a strand of wire that was tight across the pathway, I saw the rider the day or so after handing out a  warning pamphlet I could see the wire cut on his neck, very worrying as most riders are travelling fast. This was about ten years ago.

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a1white | 1 year ago
10 likes

Not withstadnign the mayors rather daft comments, this is a shocking attack. I was actually in Weymouth, visiting my parents, at the weekend and cycled along this excellent cycle trail to their home. Also had a cracking day going around some of the quiet country Dorset lanes. It's a lovely area for cycling.

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Morgoth985 | 1 year ago
10 likes

And whatever the respected Mayor is on about, this isn't a case of "the youth of today".  Allegedly, assuming the report is accurate, this would seem to be armed robbery with a serious threat to life.  The last time I checked that was a very very serious crime.

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Morgoth985 | 1 year ago
10 likes

Good God.  You would hope the police will manage to forget about the victim being a cyclist in this case and just concentrate on the fact that there is some nutter out there attacking the public with an AXE!!!

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grOg replied to Morgoth985 | 1 year ago
1 like

They carried an axe and a knife, although the report doesn't state they used the weapons; the cyclist was likely injured from being pushed off his bike.

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Hirsute | 1 year ago
1 like

mumble, mumble, something about guns

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andystow replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
9 likes

hirsute wrote:

mumble, mumble, something about guns

It turns out that very, very few American children know the words to God Save the Queen. Coincidence?

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Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
14 likes

Quote:

 

Mayor of Weymouth Ann Weaving said she was "upset and disgusted" by the incident.

"All I can say is that I blame the education system," she told the Dorset Echo (link is external).

"Children and teenagers don't have a clue nowadays about basic good behaviour. Most children don't know the Lord's Prayer. I've even noticed during the Platinum Jubilee that the youth of today don't even know the words to God Save the Queen."

What I learned about basic good behaviour came from my parents, neither I nor they would have thought it appropriate to blame my teachers for any shortcomings I had in that department. I don't recall being taught the words to God Save the Queen at school, but somehow I still managed to resist going out and attacking people with an axe.

Quite surprising to look up Ms Weaving and find that she is a Labour politician, that sort of "it's all the teachers' fault" rhetoric usually comes from further right. 

Hope the victim recovers swiftly and fully.

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chrisonabike replied to Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
14 likes

Rendel Harris wrote:

I don't recall being taught the words to God Save the Queen at school

It was the Sex Pistols.

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Gimpl replied to Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
6 likes

Agree - Had to learn God Save the Queen for one of my cub scout badges. Parents are responsible for the upbringing of their children - we don't live in a nanny state thank goodness. 

As to her comment about the lord's prayer...................

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Dnnnnnn replied to Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
14 likes

Rendel Harris wrote:

I don't recall being taught the words to God Save the Queen at school, but somehow I still managed to resist going out and attacking people with an axe.

Pretty sure it's only a matter of time.

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Rendel Harris replied to Dnnnnnn | 1 year ago
4 likes

.

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vthejk replied to Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
3 likes

Rendel Harris wrote:

What I learned about basic good behaviour came from my parents, neither I nor they would have thought it appropriate to blame my teachers for any shortcomings I had in that department.

Sadly, this is nothing new. As teachers, we are expected to 'parent' where the parents themselves do not. It's very common to be asked advice on how to address student behaviour as we see the students for so much time everyday, but some parents take that one step further and assume that teachers will take all the responsibility.

I'm not saying that the politician's statement is acceptable, but that it is part of a wider societally reinforced assumption about teachers.

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grOg replied to vthejk | 1 year ago
1 like

Unfortunately, some teachers these days think it's appropriate for them to push their own ideology onto their students in the guise of education..

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Rendel Harris replied to grOg | 1 year ago
2 likes

grOg wrote:

Unfortunately, some teachers these days think it's appropriate for them to push their own ideology onto their students in the guise of education..

Unfortunately, some uneducated people these days think it's appropriate for them to talk rubbish about a field in which they have no knowledge or expertise.

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The _Kaner | 1 year ago
11 likes

"All I can say is that I blame the education system," she told the Dorset Echo.

"Children and teenagers don't have a clue nowadays about basic good behaviour. Most children don't know the Lord's Prayer. I've even noticed during the Platinum Jubilee that the youth of today don't even know the words to God Save the Queen."
WTAF?
So, if you can recite these two things, then you're a good egg, in her books.
Talk about parochial attitudes...
I hope the mental scars, never mind the physical scars, heal for the victim.

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brooksby replied to The _Kaner | 1 year ago
8 likes

The _Kaner wrote:

"All I can say is that I blame the education system," she told the Dorset Echo. "Children and teenagers don't have a clue nowadays about basic good behaviour. Most children don't know the Lord's Prayer. I've even noticed during the Platinum Jubilee that the youth of today don't even know the words to God Save the Queen." WTAF? So, if you can recite these two things, then you're a good egg, in her books. Talk about parochial attitudes... I hope the mental scars, never mind the physical scars, heal for the victim.

Well, it worked for Dr Helen Measures, didn't it...?

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Secret_squirrel | 1 year ago
8 likes

Anyone else wondering if the attitude of the mayor has anything to do with the problems near Weymouth?  Talk about deflection and distortions.  Back in my day we didnt have shoes etc etc etc ....

(She is "only" a town/parish councillor apparently).  All the real power appears to be under Dorset Council Uinitary authority.

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