Cyclist robbed of his expensive bike in Regent’s Park by thieves wielding a hammer. Police increase patrols.
Patrick Conneely, age 33, became a victim. Two men on a moped followed him on January 18 around 8 AM. He realized they were after his bike.
Patrick tried to turn around quickly. The men blocked him off on a side road so he didn’t crash and wanted to be standing upright. One man jumped off the moped.
He yelled and demanded the bike with a hammer. Patrick thinks the robbers knew bikes well and seemed to inspect his Trek Domane carefully. Now, Patrick fears returning to the park.
Other cyclists feel the same way. They now meet outside the park and ride together in large groups for safety. They want more police presence, especially early in the morning.
Patrick suggests a police sting operation to catch the robbers. Police did this before with watch robberies in the West End. Police are aware of these robberies.
Chief Inspector Hine pledged to stop them and noted the violence used in the crimes. Police increased patrols after dark and early and added plain clothes officers.
The Met asked cyclists to register bikes, to get a free tracker. Tracking bikes can help recover them and make selling them harder.