A cycling club ride leader has stressed the importance of cyclists running cameras on the road after being told that police were unable to investigate a series of "intimidating" incidents involving the same driver across multiple days in the same small village.
Sean Price, a lifetime member of Westbury Wheelers Cycling Club, claims the club's rides have been targeted numerous times by the driver, who has passed the group too closely and shouted abuse on more than one occasion.
Sean says the first incident occurred on 1 June, and three others on Saturday 22, Sunday 23 and Tuesday 25 June.
"In the latest incident, the driver was following three riders and shouting abuse", Mr Price told road.cc.
"All three of those occasions it's happened shortly after we start our rides, almost as if he knows when and where the club meet."
Westbury Wheelers intend to purchase more bike cameras after being told police needed video evidence of alleged harassment and dangerous driving offences
While police are investigating under two crime reference numbers, Sean says the initial incident "was not fully investigated due to lack of video evidence", having only managed to capture a close pass (above) that police deemed not serious enough to issue a fixed penalty notice for. Sean says he was told that police instead intended to offer the driver the choice of attending an awareness course.
He added: "Luckily I caught one of the incidents on my rear facing Garmin Varia RCT715. There are only two bike cameras regularly used by the club members.
"The initial incident was not fully investigated due to lack of video evidence. The club have added to their agenda the purchase of bike cameras to help ride leaders and other riders to catch these criminals.
"The incidents are intimidating and causing stress and alarm to our members. Some have not ridden as a result and we as a club are avoiding that village until police action has been taken."
> Here's what to do if you capture a near miss, close pass or collision on camera while cycling
The small settlement where the alleged incidents took place, Coulston in Wiltshire, is the same village that road.cc tech editor Mat Brett was involved in a serious, unexplained collision on Monday 24 June. On 4 July, Wiltshire Police published an appeal for witnesses.
Separately, Sean told road.cc that a female Westbury Wheelers member was recently threatened at a Westbury supermarket, saying that "...what happened to Mat would happen to her."
In a statement regarding the alleged incidents involving the Westbury Wheelers cyclists, a Wiltshire Police spokesperson told road.cc:
“We have received a report of incidents of potentially dangerous driving relating to a grey Mini Clubman over the past month in villages around Westbury. Our enquiries are ongoing.
“Any witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact us on 101 quoting reference 54240074847.”