East London bikejacking captured on film, victim kicked and punched as he was robbed of his bike

Footage of a cyclist in east London being attacked by a gang of youths and robbed of his bike has been published by the London Evening Standard.

The video of the incident, which happened in Bethnal Green on Friday evening, was shot by a witness to provide evidence to the Metropolitan Police, who have launched a witness appeal.

Around six youths wearing balaclavas and hoods punched and kicked the cyclist in the face during the attack in Ion Square Gardens, off Hackney Road.

They then made off on bicycles, including the one stolen from the victim who suffered bruising but did not need to be treated in hospital.

The witness who filmed the attack, a man named Zed, told the newspaper: “My girlfriend and I were walking home coming from Columbia Road towards Bethnal Green and when passing through Ion Square Gardens we saw a gang of youths with covered faces.

“We heard the victim shouting ‘help, help, I’m being robbed!’ Then my girlfriend quickly called police and I decided to film for police evidence.

“The youths were assaulting him because he didn’t want to give up his bike, I believe it was worth about £1,500, until finally he couldn’t hold on anymore and they escaped with it.”

The victim, who was said to be badly shaken by his ordeal, also had his mobile phone taken from him but it was left, smashed, at the scene.

Local resident Wendy Harding told the Standard: “I heard the victim screaming ‘call the police’. The gang came past my house and I got to the victim about 20 seconds later to try to help him.

“He had a very bad bruised swollen eye. The gang were in their late teens with bandana covering the lower half of their faces and hoods pulled up.”

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "Officers attended and spoke with the victim who had been robbed of his bike by a group of up to six males.

"The victim was assaulted during the course of the robbery. He did not require hospital treatment.

"No arrests have been made. Enquiries are ongoing."

Anyone with information regarding the incident is requested to contact police on 101.

In May 2015, the Metropolitan Police said that the number of ‘bike-jackings’ – robberies in which a cyclist is intimidated into handing over his or her bike, often accompanied by physical violence – had doubled in the past year and were running at 10 a week.

> London bike-jackings hit 10 a week, say Metropolitan Police

A number of such incidents that we have reported on here on road.cc have taken place in east London, including in locations close to the River Lea such as the Walthamstow Marshes, where there were at least five bikejackings in the month leading up to Easter 2015.

> Police reaction to East London bike-jackings "shockingly poor" says cycling campaigner