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Peak District cyclists repeatedly targeted by booby traps

News comes as Sheffield magazine editor defends article about using razor wire against pavement cyclists

Cyclists in South Yorkshire and the Peak District are being targeted by people setting a variety of booby traps on trails including branches placed at head height and rocks being placed on a path to create an obstacle, as well as tacks scattered across a road.

The news coincides with the editor of a Sheffield lifestyle magazine defending aa column in which he joked about using razor wire to decapitate pavement cyclists.

The Sheffield Star reports that images have been posted on online forums showing a number of attempts at sabotaging cycle routes in Sheffield, Doncaster and the Peak District.

A number of pictures have also been circulating on internet forums showing how riders have been forced to pick up dozens of pins from roads in the Peaks. In addition, there has been reports of similar sabotage incidents in west Sheffield, Doncaster and along the Trans Pennine Trail.

Chris Maloney, who runs the Keeper of the Peak blog, said of the perpetrators: “These are just idiots with a vendetta. The traps are designed to stop people cycling and enjoying the outdoors.

“If someone sees these obstacles late and comes off their bike then this could cause very serious injuries or even put people's lives at risk. It needs to stop.”

Cycle Sheffield’s Dexter Johnstone added: "The people doing it are complete idiots. It is incredibly dangerous and there have been stories in the national media about people being seriously injured as a result.

“It is illegal and the people doing so should be arrested and prosecuted."

South Yorkshire Police commented: “Our officers are aware of reports of alleged trail sabotaging and take all reports of this nature very seriously.

“Trail sabotaging has the potential to cause serious injury, and we would encourage anyone who comes across evidence of this, or any suggestion of this taking place, to report it to the police via 101.”

As we reported last week, Ian MacGill, the editor of Sheffield lifestyle magazine Grapevine was unrepentant over an editorial in which razor wire was suggested as a way of dealing with pavement cyclists.

Keeper of the Peak’s Maloney had told the Sheffield Star: “This kind of comment – joking or otherwise – legitimises the anti-cyclist hatred and rhetoric that groups like Ride Sheffield, Peak District MTB and me – as well as others such as CycleSheffield have worked hard – successfully I might add – to combat.

“And more than that, as well as legitimising the bile, Macgill has gone one step further and suggested ways in which an easily led idiot could cause serious bodily harm.”

In response, Macgill told the newspaper: “Here’s what to do – reproduce my July editor’s article and ask for your readers’ comments regarding cyclists using Sheffield pavements as racetracks.

“Then send out a snapper to see how many of these idiots can be photographed in a couple of hours.

"Name and shame them, especially those with a camera on the helmet. In (the) olden days, cyclists dismounted when passing through pedestrian areas.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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5 comments

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RoubaixCube | 4 years ago
0 likes

Righting a wrong with another wrong is moronic.

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matthewn5 replied to RoubaixCube | 4 years ago
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RoubaixCube wrote:

Righting a wrong with another wrong is moronic.

Correct, it's the Trump technique, doubling down, straight out of Bannon's alt-right playbook.

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Rick_Rude | 4 years ago
2 likes

Grapevine's assets are probably valued at around £4.67, hence the needs for stupid opinion pieces.

It won't exist in a year or so and will probably blame Brexit or cyclists.

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daflj | 4 years ago
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Someone down here on the south coast got badly hurt last week by a rope at neck height.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/gran-suffers-neck-fracture-horrifi...

 

The article from the Grapevine editor will only encourage more of this. I have some sympathy with the police - the perpetrators of these sorts of offences must be exceptionally difficult to catch, but until people are caughts and punished then this sort of thing is likely to continue.

Avatar
brooksby | 4 years ago
3 likes

So can we now get a comment from Mr McGill on this, given that it appears to have moved on from 'possibly causing offence'?  "Dear Mr McGill - How would you like to justify your comments given that people nearby appear to have been taking them at face value and actually 'booby-trapping' off road cycle routes/trails?"

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