Woman had used helmet camera to film incident in which man shoved her off her bike in east London

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

A man has come forward and identified himself to police as the pedestrian who was filmed pushing a female cyclist into the path of London traffic.

Police had been seeking the man following the incident, which was captured by a helmet camera worn by the woman.

She had asked the man not to cross the road until she had cycled past. In the footage, he is heard shouting and swearing at the cyclist, who is in her early 40s, as he chased her down Sidney Street in Whitechapel, east London.

As she slowed down near a junction, the man, who was wearing dark clothing, approached the cyclist, called her a “mug” and shoved her to the ground. She let out a cry and sounded distressed and injured.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The male pedestrian who was filmed pushing a female cyclist into the path of London traffic. Photograph: Metropolitan Police/PA

The woman, who was upset by the assault but did not need medical treatment, moved herself and her bike to safety. She contacted police and handed over footage of the incident, which occurred on 1 May. The Metropolitan police released the video to help find the man.

The force said on Tuesday evening that a 33-year-old had attended Bethnal Green police station at about 1.30pm and identified himself as the man in the video.

He was not arrested but would be interviewed by officers from Tower Hamlets “in due course”, it said in a statement.

Paul Kitson from CTC, a cycling charity, and a solicitor with the law firm Slater and Gordon, said: “While the film clip is shocking this is unfortunately not an isolated incident.

“In my experience as a cycle injury lawyer, I have come across examples of cyclists being deliberately pushed off their bikes by passengers from passing cars, motorists attempting to push a cyclist into oncoming traffic and even using their vehicle as a weapon.

“When a pedestrian deliberately pushes a cyclist off a bike this is a criminal act. The appropriate offence depends upon the extent of the injury.”