Cycling can be scary enough without idiot drivers deliberately trying to knock you off.

But that's what happened to a poor chap in Preston recently, when thieves intentionally ploughed into him, knocking him off his bike, before stealing his wallet.

At about 11.15pm on Saturday 17 May, a 35-year-old man was cycling home along Ribbleton Lane when he rode past a car with a foreign number plate, Lancashire police said on Thursday.



A number of men who were standing next to this car verbally abused him, before the car was intentionally driven at the cyclist, knocking him off his bicycle.

It happened at the junction of Ribbleton Avenue and Blackpool Road. The men then punched and kicked the cyclist and stole his wallet, detectives said on Thursday.

Some members of the public intervened, preventing the cyclist being more seriously injured, though he did receive some treatment at Royal Preston Hospital.

The men are described as white and spoke with Eastern European accents. The car used is only described as being a small, possibly light blue, hatchback.

DC Danny Greene said: “This was a nasty and unprovoked assault and we are working to try and find the people responsible.

“If you witnessed this assault or have any information about the people responsible then please contact us quoting log reference LC-20140517-1926.”

Also on Thursday, Lancashire police appealed for information after another cyclist was hit by a car in Darwen which failed to stop.

Around 12.10pm on Sunday 25 May, a 41-year-old man was cycling along Bolton Road, near to the junction with Devon Street, when he was involved in a collision with a dark coloured vehicle.



The man was thrown from his bike, suffering a broken collar bone, but the car failed to stop and continued being driven along Devon Street.

Anyone with information should call Lancashire police.

As a post-script to this misery, an update on an assault I suffered while in the saddle earlier in the month, when a motorcyclist slapped my bottom while I was riding in the Peak District.

Derbyshire Police took up the case and trawled CCTV footage to see if they could spot the culprits zooming past, but to no avail. The crime has been recorded as "undetected", with a very nice female officer emailing me with the sign-off: "I hope this incident doesn’t stop you from cycling in the Derbyshire countryside in the future."