London Bike Theft Turns Violent, Cyclist Confronts Thieves

0:00On March 19, in South London's Putney neighborhood, these grabbed an 8,000-pound racing bike from the roof of a Volvo on a quiet residential street Friday, March 13. The Bala Clava-Waring pair worked in broad daylight, yanking the bike loose while a 33-year-old cycling team manager named Tony Poole rushed, stopped them, Poole had been loading gear at a friend's home for an upcoming team trip to the pig district when he spotted the theft around 2.30pm. He confronted the men, but one lifted his shirt to reveal a large knife hanging to his knees, forcing Poole to back away as they fled on a moped with a bike over one shoulder. The victim described the encounter as terrifying, saying it made him think twice of our risking his life over the bikes, which together were worth. 16,000 pounds. The second bike ended up wrecked on the pavement and Poole posted a team statement online highlighting how thefts have turned violent. Bike thefts are surging across London, with 6,721 reported to police from January to June last year.

1:04Yet only a tiny fraction, about 0.6% lead to charges, and locals report similar moped snatchings nearby in places like Hurn Hill and Rohampton. Police responded to the scene just after 3pm, and are now reviewing bystander video as part of their ongoing probe into this in related cases. Cyclists in the area should keep a sharp eye out for suspicious moped's.