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Hundreds of drawing pins spread on Bridgend cycle track

Saboteurs target part of National Cycle Network

Hundreds of drawing pins have been found scattered along a popular cycle path near Bridgend. The path from Brynmenyn to Blackmill forms part of National Cycle Network Route 4.

Mary John told Wales Online that she was walking the route with her father and two young daughters when she first spotted some tacks.

"As we were walking along the track I noticed some pins on the floor, so I moved them out of the way. As I carried on walking, just metres away there was more scattered again."

She continued: "Luckily, my girls were in a pram but normally they like to run around. What if a child was running and fell over, they could really hurt themselves if they fell onto the pins.

"Dogs could also walk on them. It could really cause some damage. When I got home I also noticed that pins were also on the wheels of the pram as well as on the bottom of my shoes.

"I didn't realise this until I got home, I couldn't even tell you how many I found but there were hundreds of them on the track."

John said that her discovery is putting people off using the route.

"My friend has said that she's not going to take her kids back there now as she doesn't feel like it is a safe place.”

The incident is not the first time that cyclists in the area have been targeted in such a way. In 2014, dozens of riders suffered punctures on the descent from the Bwlch into nearby Nant-y-Moel during the Valleys Velo sportive.

On this occasion, not only were the drawing pins placed on a fast descent, they were also painted black in an apparent attempt to camouflage them.

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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9 comments

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boxrick | 4 years ago
2 likes

So not only is there one of those nonsense bike blockers but there on the picture. People now need to contend with Pins.

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hmas1974 | 4 years ago
0 likes

This is Bridgend remember. Teenage suicide capital of the UK. There are some unhappy people out there.

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burtthebike replied to hmas1974 | 4 years ago
1 like

hmas1974 wrote:

This is Bridgend remember. Teenage suicide capital of the UK. There are some unhappy people out there.

Which is true, and if it was only Bridgend, then there might be some room for understanding, but this is happening all over the UK.

Avatar
crazy-legs replied to burtthebike | 4 years ago
2 likes

burtthebike wrote:

Which is true, and if it was only Bridgend, then there might be some room for understanding, but this is happening all over the UK.

+1. I think it's actually spreading - maybe it's being reported more in the press but maybe that's also part of the problem - idiot reads it, thinks "ooh, I can do that here too..."

Almost imposssible to prove who did it, virtually zero chance of any conviction.  2

Avatar
Sriracha replied to hmas1974 | 4 years ago
2 likes
hmas1974 wrote:

This is Bridgend remember. Teenage suicide capital of the UK. There are some unhappy people out there.

Meanwhile, in other news:
https://road.cc/content/news/265564-exercise-effective-way-treat-depress...

Avatar
ChrisB200SX replied to hmas1974 | 4 years ago
0 likes

hmas1974 wrote:

This is Bridgend remember. Teenage suicide capital of the UK. There are some unhappy people out there.

Finding tacks all over cycle paths or in your tyres is pretty depressing.

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Stef Marazzi | 4 years ago
0 likes

Anyone able to create a negative actions against cyclists should be a hate crime type thing on those parliamentary voting sites? 

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ktache | 4 years ago
1 like

Just wondering, is this the sort of thing that a tubeless set up with tube sealant will protect against?

Oh and terrible thing, just to think a child or an animal might get hurt at some point, never mind those evil cyclists.

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burtthebike | 4 years ago
5 likes

Definitely time things like this were recognised as a hate crime, with appropriate sentences, but I suppose we'll have to wait until a child pedestrian is injured, or perhaps a royal on a bicycle.  But I'm sure that the police will have plenty of time to investigate them now that Boris (the apprentice) is going to restore 90% of the police cuts that he voted for.

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