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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Benjamin Roberts-Haslam

Man 'shaken' after scrambler bike yobs headed straight at him

A man says he was kicked by a "yob" on a scrambler bike in the middle of the afternoon.

John Cunnane from Litherland was riding his bike through Rimrose Valley at around 3.10pm on Wednesday, November 3, when he rode past four men dressed in black with a scrambler bike.

He says they acknowledged him as he went past, with the 65-year-old nodding back.

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Then moments later, two of the four men went past on the scrambler, with John claiming the rider then kicked his in his thigh.

He wobbled but kept riding on. This is when he noticed the bike turn round and start heading straight for him.

John noticed the driver was "angry" but managed to swerve out of the way of the scrambler and ride away.

He told the ECHO : "I was going through Rimrose Valley the other day as I had an appointment at Litherland Health Centre. The park has a tarmac path going right through it so I turned down the path and I got 200-300 yards down this path and these lads were there with this scrambler bike.

"Two lads were on the scrambler bike and two were stood beside the bike.

"The bike was facing me as I was approaching it and everything seemed normal. They were all dressed in black but it seemed normal. They had a scrambler bike but it didn't bother me, I didn't judge them or anything. I gave them a wide birth by going on the other side of the path.

"The rider, as I was going past, said 'alright mate' and I nodded. I didn't say anything but I nodded. I carried on and then I hear the bike revving up behind me but didn't think anything of it.

"Next thing I know the bike is coming up behind me and as it went past me to my right the rider was looking at me and gave me a big kick to my right thigh. It was a big thumping kick. I assume their intentions were to knock me off my bike but I thought they were just larking around.

"It made me wobble, my weight helped me keep me on my bike, and I carried on peddling.

"The bike went on with a passenger on, down the path and they got so far as I'm following them and then they turned round. They then came at me straight on and he was angry then, he was a very angry lad.

"He got his calculations wrong. If he'd gone another 50 yards he could've turned round, got himself set and come straight for me but because he didn't give himself enough room when he came at me, he was determined to get me, he wasn't set properly.

"I dodged round the side of him and got away. I still had a fair way to get out the park though so I just went hell for leather."

The hydro-graphic surveyor was left "shaken" following the incident.

He said: "It was scary at the time because I didn't quite understand what I'd done wrong initially. I thought 'that was a bit much' but later on when my friend told me they were probably trying to steal my bike and phone, I was quite shook up.

"It was okay, I'm okay, you have a couple hours of of being shaken a bit."

Merseyside Police were approached for comment.

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