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Updated: Violent assault on London cyclist captured on film

Police investigation has stalled, can you identify attacker?

The Metropolitan Police’s willingness to investigate clear wrongdoing has been severely criticised in light of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.

Of course it would be good to think that was a one-off aberration under a previous Met. regime and one that had something to do with an unwillingness by detectives at the time to expose a culture of receiving press backhanders amongst their colleagues.

Things are different now. But take a look at this video and read the account on our forum posted by the road.cc regular who was the victim of the assault, about both incident and the police’s attempt to bring the attacker to book.

Although the registered keeper of the car was easily traceable it seems that on the day in question the vehicle was left unlocked with the keys in the ignition, only for it to be taken without consent but somehow later returned to the owner by person or persons unknown.

Could happen I suppose, after all there are some very considerate, violently thuggish car thieves out there who sometimes repent and, racked with guilt, simply return the stolen vehicle to its rightful owner completely undamaged.

In which the case the registered keeper will no doubt be keen to help track down the person filmed in the assault in order to thank them for seeing the error of their ways, at least in terms of the return of the car, if not the attack on a cyclist who was hardly in a position to defend himself.

What we can say about the assailant is that he looks about 30, medium height and build, possibly married judging by the ring on his left hand, bit temperamental, fancies himself as a hard man (with his mates in tow of course), punches like a girl.

Over to you tweeters, bloggers and off-duty coppers.

UPDATE: The Metropolitan Police tell us that this case remains the subject of an on-going investigation by  detectives from Bexley CID. We will, of course, bring you news of any further developments as and when they occur.

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81 comments

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fluffy_mike | 13 years ago
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It's doing the rounds on the interwebulator - LCC has sent it on to its several thousand Twitter followers, there's a link on LFGSS, and more

be a bit embarrassing for the law if the forces of social networking caught the thug when they couldn't be bothered

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londonplayer | 13 years ago
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Just one more point. Surely the owner's excuse should be challenged by the police. Detective "we don't believe you. Unless you tell us who was driving your car that day, we will charge you with attempting to pervert the course of justice. Alternatively, you can save yourself a lot of hassle by just telling us who the two men in the video are. The choice is yours."

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londonplayer | 13 years ago
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according to a registration website I looked at, the car was originally registered in Luton. This may of course just happen to be where the car was purchased.

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LondonCalling | 13 years ago
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I sent this via Twitter to Ross Lydall of the Evening Standard and to Dave Hill of The Guardian.

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stevebull-01 | 13 years ago
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To be fair there are pricks like this all over the place, with their 'look at how tough iam attitude'. It does'nt matter to me who they are or where they're from, bottom line is police need to deal with the likes of him before they end up killing someone with their complete disregard for human life.

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tazbikebiz | 13 years ago
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Well if the law can't trace the driver I hope that the car gets traced and would not be surprised if it gets trashed !!! Who believes in Karma ?

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sq225917 | 13 years ago
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Why don't you just offer the Police a tenner for the guys name and address, say you are from the News Of The World, that should swing it for you...

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jijiandnoah | 13 years ago
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Anyone seeing this video is going to be horrified, but don't start blaming this on the fact it happened in Bexley! Like gazzaputt I'd like to point out that Bexley is actually one of the safest boroughs in London - the crime rates elsewhere in the capital are on the most part higher - generally and for violence - and the days of the BNP (who, as pointed out were in Welling) are long gone. The BNP HQ was shut down in 1995.

This is a nasty incident, pure and simple, but one that could have occured easily anywhere in London - or outside. There are racists everywhere. Bexley is not "known for its high percentage of locals with links to far right groups" even if the idiots in this video look like that...

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SirruslyFast replied to jijiandnoah | 13 years ago
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No wonder the 'crime records' are low - even when presented with videos like this the police don't consider it a crime!

Anyone seeing this video is going to be horrified, but don't start blaming this on the fact it happened in Bexley! Like gazzaputt I'd like to point out that Bexley is actually one of the safest boroughs in London - the crime rates elsewhere in the capital are on the most part higher - generally and for violence - and the days of the BNP (who, as pointed out were in Welling) are long gone. The BNP HQ was shut down in 1995.

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Simon_MacMichael | 13 years ago
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I'm an ex-local, used to cycle round here a lot. SE London does have its share of knuckle-draggers, sadly. The BNP used to have its HQ not far away in Welling. Not too far from Eltham, either, where Stephen Lawrence was killed and we know how well the Met came out of that sad episode.

It doesn't sound like they tried too hard to see who *was* driving the car. Fingerprinting the steering wheel might show whether anyone other than the registered keeper was driving it. His mobile phone records might show where he was. Not that I'm trying to do their job for them.

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OldRidgeback | 13 years ago
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Interesting - note that the Bexley area is known for its high percentage of locals with links to far right groups and whose members wear white shirts and have short haircuts and are not unused to using their fists. it does rather defy logic that the police are unable to identify the perpetrators of this assault given that the vehicle's registration plate is clearly identified. If the owner of the vehicle cannot supply an adequate reason why he/she cannot identify who was driving that day then perhaps he/she should be reminded that allowing someone without insurance to use a vehicle is an offence. Basically the cops should say to the owner, "Tell us who it was or we'll give you six points on your licence and a fine for the vehicle offence."

It's simple policing, not rocket science.

I don't live far away. I'll take note of that registration number.

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gazzaputt replied to OldRidgeback | 13 years ago
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OldRidgeback wrote:

Interesting - note that the Bexley area is known for its high percentage of locals with links to far right groups and whose members wear white shirts and have short haircuts and are not unused to using their fists. it does rather defy logic that the police are unable to identify the perpetrators of this assault given that the vehicle's registration plate is clearly identified. If the owner of the vehicle cannot supply an adequate reason why he/she cannot identify who was driving that day then perhaps he/she should be reminded that allowing someone without insurance to use a vehicle is an offence. Basically the cops should say to the owner, "Tell us who it was or we'll give you six points on your licence and a fine for the vehicle offence."

It's simple policing, not rocket science.

I don't live far away. I'll take note of that registration number.

As a resident of Bexley Village can I say that 99.9% of the residents aren't 'far right groups and whose members wear white shirts and have short haircuts and are not unused to using their fists'. I'll think you'll find the BNP actually didn't to well in the last election within our ward. Oh and please it is actually Bexley, Kent  3 The Village itself is a very nice area!

I would have thought the car would have been passing through and it was unfortunate the incident took place in the high street.

I myself cycle through at 2-3 per week for the last 8 years and the only trouble I have had was an old dear swiping me with her car door.

I hope the police actual bothered to view the video and then visit the registered keeper. Somehow I think not.

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jijiandnoah | 13 years ago
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Utterly disgraceful and horrible to watch. For what it's worth I've sent the links to the video, and the original forum account to the local papers - I'm from Bexleyheath and as darryl1974 pointed out this is in Bexley Village. May not lead to much but the more places this idiot's face gets posted the higher the chance someone might develop a conscience and say who he is

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darryl1974 | 13 years ago
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This is in Bexley Village - outside Ferraris brasserie at the junction of Bexley High Street and Hurst Road.

Have posted this here http://853blog.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/violent-attack-on-cyclist-in-bex...

and http://forum.charltonlife.com/discussion/42013/attack-on-cyclist-in-bexl... (a lot of Charlton fans in that area)

Good luck tracking this idiot down.

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elyobelyob | 13 years ago
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And his name is John? Sounds like it "John, leave off" ...

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John Groves | 13 years ago
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Being from Canada I'm not surprised, the Met is known internationally to rank along with the New O'rleans force and the LAPD as one of the worlds most corrupt forces.

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LondonCalling | 13 years ago
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It has been proven over and over again that the Metropolitan Police cannot be relied on. Or not that many of the police forces in this country. Last month a woman and her daughter were murdered by the woman's ex partner, who had been reported to the cops a zillion times, not only by her, but by her neighbours. Now she's dead, and her 2 year old daughter. And her 10 year old was left an orphan and traumatized for ever b/c she witnessed it all. And now there is an inquiry, another f***ing waste of time and money that will be another whitewash to cover up the police's "don't give a fuck" attitude. Now they'll wait for these thugs to kill a cyclist with their car, and then our joke of justice system will let them off with a fine and a community service and a driving ban of a couple of weeks!!!

All I could think while watching this video is "burn the car with the c**ts inside!  14

I'm sure there is a way to find out where the car owner lives. Do you know any News of the World "journalists"?

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amazon22 | 13 years ago
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Upsetting to watch. Inconceivable that these thugs can't be found.

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sc129806 | 13 years ago
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Please find this man! One of the very same reasons I wear a helmet cam. Hope the cyclist is ok.

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londonplayer | 13 years ago
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I reported a far less serious incident to the Met and was similarly able to give the number plate. The Police immediately started speculating about whether the registered owner was driving that day, maybe the car had been hired out, maybe it had been "borrowed" by someone etc etc. One has to wonder if they would have the same concerns if it had been a police officer assaulted.

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Loki | 13 years ago
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Corruption at the highest levels. The assailant must be a Met police officer. What has happened to British society?

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