Video footage of apparent attack on bicycle rider goes viral after incident in Hornchurch on the edge of London

A man has voluntarily gone to a police station in Essex after helmet camera footage showing a cyclist being forced off the road by a van and then punched by the driver went viral on YouTube.

The video – the original version was viewed tens of thousands of times but has now been removed – shows a cyclist riding along a main road when he is overtaken by a van bearing the logo of a landscaping company, Taylor Landscapes.

As the traffic slows for a junction, the footage shows the cyclist looking into the van’s windows before shouting, apparently to the driver, “Get off the phone, you muppet.” The van turns sharply against the kerb, sending the cyclist off his bike and on to the pavement.



A man gets out of the driver’s side of the van and approaches the cyclist. After the two protest and swear at each other, the footage shows the driver seemingly kick and shove the rider, then aim a heavy punch. This sends the cyclist to the floor, also knocking the camera from his bike helmet.

Essex police said a man had attended a police station voluntarily. The matter had been passed to the Metropolitan police, the force said, as it had been established the incident took place in their area.

Police have appealed for the cyclist who shot the footage to come forward following the incident, which officers said took place in Hornchurch, on the eastern edge of London and Essex.

Essex Police (@EssexPoliceUK) A man attended station in #Essex re a cycle incident that appeared on YouTube. Investigation passed to Met Police as happened in #Hornchurch

Calls to Taylor Landscaping received no reply. A mobile number which can be clearly seen in the video on the side of the van appears to have been disconnected.

The Trust a Trader website said it had removed the company from its database pending any police investigation.