South West London cyclists avoid Richmond Park

Richmond Park has seen a dramatic drop in attendance after confirmed reports of machete wielding gangs attacking cyclists.

Data collected from Strava, a smartphone app that monitors exercise and fitness activity by users, including cyclists and runners, has picked up a fall of some 80per cent.

The change follows three instances of masked men ramming cyclists off the road near the Roehampton gate, threatening them with machetes before ultimately stealing their, often very valuable, bikes.

The violence has left park users, who often come from far way, unwilling to risk their safety by including it in their cycling routes.

A cycling campaigner who uses the Twitter name 'The Department of Parks and Recreation' highlighted the drop in people using Richmond Park. He said: "We know these criminals are carrying large bladed weapons. To reassure park users and enable people to start using the park again, the park gates should be closed to most motor traffic."

Pictures of the gang carrying away a bike stolen from cyclist Mark Radville was posted on social media. He suffered cuts to his hand, shoulder, and forearm, which required hospital treatment.

Mr Radville, 37, from Lewisham, told the Mail Online that he feared being decapitated by a thug wielding a machete.

"I was cycling along when I noticed a moped behind me over my right shoulder," he said.

"They then pulled up alongside me and one of them showed me a machete - he only pulled it out slightly but showed it to me.

"At that moment I change gear and go for it, trying to get away as fast as I can. Then he pulls it out completely and it looked like he was going to go for me."

At this point Radville was rammed into the thieves after trying to escape to safety on the pavement.

Mr Radville continued: "The guy got off the moped and was still waving his machete about as he didn't want anyone to get near him,

"He picked up my bike and jumped onto the back of the moped with my bike over his shoulder.

"One minute I was cycling along, and the next minute I thought I was going to be decapitated in the street. It was terrifying."

The story is very similar to the professional British cyclist Alexandar Richardson, who was attacked and robbed of his £10,000 bike in a similar manner last Thursday (October 7).

Richardson, a cyclist with team Alpecin-Fenix, recounted the ordeal in an Instagram post last week: "I was finishing training around 3pm when two motorbikes with 4 men and balaclavas started following me. I knew exactly they wanted to take me bike and started to think what the best thing I could do was.

"I turned around at east Sheen roundabout and started riding full speed to the café about 500 metres away. They simply rode one of the motorbikes into me at 60kph.

"I came off the bike and the first motor bike lost control. I held onto my bike however the second motor bike then dragged me and the bike along the floor for another 100 metres.

"After this they pulled out a 15-inch machete at which point, I thought better and let the bike go. I'm pretty cut up and bruised with a swollen hip but tomorrow is another day."

The third incident took place the day before this attack and saw an expensive Cannondale systemsix ultrega taken.

Information about an arrest in this case can be found here.

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