Cyclists in Regent’s Park have blamed negative press for an incident which saw “a very large amount of tacks and pins” thrown onto the road in the park in an apparent attempt to sabotage cyclists.
The incident happened at around 6.30 on May 5, when cyclists – including family groups – were on their bikes in the area.
Marylebone man Thomas Trotzier told this newspaper: “I had been riding for 25 minutes doing loops on the south side of the park when I saw two cyclists stopped and screaming to be careful because there was something in the road.
“I stopped as soon as I could, as I had my kids behind me.”
Thomas, a regular cyclist who was out with his 13-year-old son, said: “It can make it really dangerous. My son is only 13. He was absolutely shocked.”
Cycling campaigner and member of Regent’s Park Cyclists Justin McKie told this newspaper: “We’ve heard of a fair few punctures but no reports of anyone falling off. The background in my eyes is really clear.
“A couple of weeks ago a photographer came out with a long lense and took some pretty damaging photographs. The way they were shot distorted the perspective and this has helped create a hatred, I think.”
Justin added that, with more new cyclists feeling empowered to take to the – quieter – roads, it was important to make sure, in lockdown and going forward, that effort was made to make roads safer and easier for cyclists to use.
He said: “We want to encourage more cycling, and during lockdown lots of people have been buying bikes, but the challenge is to cope with people using the roads.
“People won’t want to use their bikes.”
In April, cyclists were joined by public health campaigner Adrian Jackson in criticising the “media misrepresentation” of cyclists during the coronavirus lockdown.
At the time, the Regent’s Park Cyclist group emphasised the work they were doing to encourage cyclists to obey social distancing rules.
A Royal Parks’ spokesperson, said: “To the best of our knowledge this is an isolated incident.”
Regent’s Park Police are aware of the incident.
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