{"id":829,"date":"2025-07-23T16:29:53","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T16:29:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/?p=829"},"modified":"2025-07-24T12:27:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T12:27:22","slug":"ex-police-officer-beaten-up-by-six-guys-on-mopeds-over-2000-bike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/23\/ex-police-officer-beaten-up-by-six-guys-on-mopeds-over-2000-bike\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-police officer beaten up by \u2018six guys on mopeds\u2019 over \u00a32,000 bike"},"content":{"rendered":"
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class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\twindow.addEventListener(‘metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded’, function(data) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tif (typeof(data.detail) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === ‘undefined’) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\treturn;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar player = data.detail.carousel.el_;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar container = player.closest(‘.metro-video-player’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar placeholder = container.querySelector(‘.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tif (placeholder) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.removeChild(placeholder);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.classList.add(‘metro-video-player–related-videos-loaded’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>London is enduring a rise in violent bike-jackings that have left riders injured.<\/p>\n<p>South London has been hard hit with gangs targeting cyclists close to the velodrome in Dulwich.<\/p>\n<p>WhatsApp groups among the city’s riders have been filled with warnings after several incidents in Dulwich and two attempted attacks in Shirley Church Road in nearby Croydon.<\/p>\n<p>But what is sparking the rise in these thefts and how are they happening?<\/p>\n<p>The attackers – often men on mopeds or e-bikes – appear to target riders by cornering them and pushing them off their bikes before fleeing with it. <\/p>\n<p>This can even happen on busy roads.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"364\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23734063 lazyload\" alt=\"A man holding his bike against a railing for bicycle parking.\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ddcc85a6-f58b-4b73-8ad7-822df0b19512-708b.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>A dad-of-three thought he had been stabbed when six men jumped on him while riding with his son (Picture: Adrian Matthews)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There was a string of robberies involving cyclists in Regent’s Park earlier this year and there are fears these incidents were not isolated.<\/p>\n<p>It’s also feared criminals are becoming more brazen.<\/p>\n<p>The warning comes after two members of the Velo Club Londres were attacked in Dulwich last week.<\/p>\n<p>Hanan Hauari, club chair, told <strong>Metro<\/strong>: ‘Sadly, this wasn\u2019t an isolated incident \u2013 we are hearing of more cyclists being targeted in south London, often while returning from training or commuting. These crimes are violent, coordinated, and clearly escalating.’<\/p>\n<p>Adrian Matthews, 45, an ex-police officer, was riding back from the arena with his 13-year-old son last Thursday, when six men on mopeds suddenly appeared near the South Circular junction. <\/p>\n<p>He was left with a broken rib, bruises, a black eye and scratches when a mob of six men pounced on him and his son near the junction of College Road and the South Circular in Dulwich last Thursday. <\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tLatest London news\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/07\/09\/fire-rips-block-flats-south-east-london-23616646\/\">Mother screamed ‘my boy, my boy’ after fire ripped through block of flats<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/07\/10\/a-real-nuisance-londoners-say-citys-e-bike-boom-23609213\/\">‘A real nuisance’ – Londoners have their say on the city’s e-bike boom<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/07\/10\/man-30s-stabbed-death-outside-knightsbridge-casino-23625414\/\">Woman screamed ‘Oh my god’ after man was stabbed to death outside Casino<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><strong>To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro’s<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/london\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> London news hub<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The criminals stole Adrian’s \u00a32,000 road bike after ‘kicking and stomping’ on him on the side of a busy road. <\/p>\n<section class=\"metro-comment-cta\">\n<div class=\"metro-comment-cta__inner\"><span class=\"metro-comment-cta__text-wrap\"><title>Comment now<\/title><span class=\"metro-comment-cta__text\">Have you been affected? Please email noora.mykkanen@metro.co.uk<\/span><\/span><a class=\"metro-comment-cta__button\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\">Comment Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>Adrian, who was with the Met Police for almost 20 years, said: ‘I kept asking if I had been stabbed as it felt like something went inside. It was a mob.’<\/p>\n<p>He called for more action to tackle bike jacking as attackers ‘know they can get away with it’ and ‘there will be a point where they will kill someone.’<\/p>\n<p>‘There is no defence from them taking your bike. We are trying to get kids to enjoy cycling and kids to go out independently and to stay fit and healthy, and this has just smashed the level of confidence in my family as to whether we can take our kids out again. <\/p>\n<p>He added: ‘Luckily, it was my eldest one – if it had been my eight or ten-year-old, they probably would have been destroyed.’ <\/p>\n<p>With the summer holidays starting and children cycling around, he warned that there could be further attacks. <\/p>\n<p>Joe Booth, the general secretary of the Dulwich Paragon cycling club, told<strong> Metro<\/strong> that bike-jackers appear more brazen now with a ‘sense of organisation behind it.’ <\/p>\n<p>He said: ‘It is not just individuals stealing bikes and selling them online. These are people who have been ordered, and things are then being packaged and being sent abroad.’ <\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"485\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23723843 lazyload\" alt=\"College Road in Dulwich, south London, with trees lining the road.\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_259752824-eb74.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>College Road in Dulwich is a popular route for cyclists to get to Crystal Palace and beyond for rides (Picture: Robin Stott\/Creative Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He continued: ‘It is sickening and worrying. We have about 400 members, and a significant number are women. It’s easy to say we’re going out as a group, but if you can’t even ride up College Road to meet people and ride confidently to the start of the ride, it will interfere with people’s ability to ride.’ <\/p>\n<p>Joe said there are ‘more and more of bike-jackings’ in busy urban areas over the past three years. Previously, the issue was more common in quieter lanes. <\/p>\n<p>He continued: ‘It is like people are less bothered about being seen in busy areas.’ <\/p>\n<p>While Joe said he doesn’t know what has caused the rise in these attacks, Adrian said neighbourhoods like Dulwich suffer from huge levels of inequality and poverty ‘next to million-pound homes.’ <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘They are prepared for violence’ <\/h2>\n<p>A similar attack on Friday, June 27, left James Zuccollo with a broken hand when two young men on a moped chased and attacked him on his way back from work on Bowen Drive. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"485\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23723844 lazyload\" alt=\"James Zuccollo leaning on his bike during a bike ride next to a field.\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_259752128-97e1.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>James was left with a fractured hand after thieves pushed him off his bike, which he has invested countless hours in repairs and upgrades (Picture: James Zuccollo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He told <strong>Metro<\/strong>: ‘I passed a couple of lads on a moped, who looked like late teens, but it is difficult to say because they were wearing balaclavas and helmets.<\/p>\n<p>‘They pulled in front of me and cut me off, and pushed me off my bike, causing me to crash, then wrestled the bike off me and put it over their shoulder and drove off.’<\/p>\n<p>The thieves got away with James’ Canyon Ultimate road bike, which cost around \u00a34,000-\u00a35,000 ten years ago and was his ‘favourite bike.’ <\/p>\n<p>James, who is over 6”4 and not a ‘tiny target,’ said he felt ‘just resignation’ when he realised there was no help in sight. <\/p>\n<p>He continued: ‘Many of us feel unsafe, and I feel unsafe, riding now on my own. I’m very hesitant to do it.<\/p>\n<p>‘That sense of fear that keeps you off the road and out of the countryside is probably the biggest cost.’ <\/p>\n<p>Another cyclist, Kiril Piskunow, said he was targeted in Bermondsey on June 15 when two masked men on e-bikes followed before pouncing on him near Bermondsey station on the A200. <\/p>\n<p>He told <strong>Metro<\/strong>: ‘I jumped off the bike to avoid being pushed off. One of them got off the e-bike and rushed at me, hand in his hoodie pocket, threatening to stab me. I used the bike to keep some distance but eventually let it go.’ <\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong><strong><strong>Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"mailto:webnews@metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\">webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>For more stories like this, <\/strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>check our news page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom-start\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom centered\"><\/section>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom-end\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom centered\"><a class=\"comment-now metro-button metro-comments-cta\" data-vars-position=\"bottom_cta_question\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span><title>Comment now<\/title><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"comment-now__label\">Have you been affected? Please email noora.mykkanen@metro.co.uk<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:”VideoObject”,”name”:”Metro.co.uk”,”duration”:”T50S”,”thumbnailUrl”:”https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/02\/27\/12\/95648585-0-image-a-4_1740659762417.jpg”,”uploadDate”:”2025-02-27T12:33:36+0000″,”description”:”Mobs of ‘bike-jackers’ have been targeting riders who gather in northwest London’s Regent Park each morning before it opens up to vehicle traffic at 7am.”,”contentUrl”:”https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/02\/27\/4480827943761167880\/480x270_MP4_4480827943761167880.mp4″,”height”:270,”width”:480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener(‘metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded’, function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === ‘undefined’) { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest(‘.metro-video-player’); var placeholder = container.querySelector(‘.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder’); if … <a href=\"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/23\/ex-police-officer-beaten-up-by-six-guys-on-mopeds-over-2000-bike\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> “Ex-police officer beaten up by \u2018six guys on mopeds\u2019 over \u00a32,000 bike”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":831,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cost-of-living"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=829"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":835,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/829\/revisions\/835"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}