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Vandals' wire attack
From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Thursday 14th Nov 2002.
A CYCLIST was lucky to escape serious injury after vandals strung a length of wire across a busy road.
Police said the 35-year-old man was thrown off his bike when he hit the wire in Forest Lane, Pewsham on Saturday November 9.
The man, from the Wood Lane area of Chippenham, was cycling along Forest Lane at about 8.30pm towards the centre of the estate.
He told police he saw the wire across the road about a 18 inches high.
"He had no time to stop and he hit the wire and fell off his bike. Luckily he only had minor injuries," said PC James Marchant, of Chippenham police.
PC Marchant said police were treating the incident as a common assault because it could have caused someone serious damage.
"It may have been a prank but someone could have been seriously hurt. Whoever put the wire there intended to injure someone and that is common assault," he said.
The cyclist phoned the police after the incident and told them what had happened. When police arrived the wire had been removed.
"The wire must have been tied between two trees or lampposts," said PC Marchant.
"If a child had been riding on a small bike is could have been very dangerous."
One mother of two in Danes Close said she was shocked to her about the incident.
"It makes me really angry that people can do that," she said. "Someone could have been really badly hurt. It is completely mindless."
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