Supporting Local Journalism: My Experience with London’s Bike Crime
Locking my bicycle to railings in the middle of the day while reporting for The Independent, I foolishly assumed my two wheels would be safe. Returning several hours later, I found two police officers standing over it as its anti-theft alarm rang out. “You’re lucky it’s still here mate, this guy stopped the thief,” said one of the officers, signalling a grey-haired man.
Mark Vinall, a pony-tailed cameraman, had been staging a live segment for the evening news when he saw orange sparks flying as a large hooded man hunched over my red onyx bike frame. Covering crime in London, I am used to people filming mobile e-bike phone grabs, stabbings, and even a street fight with nunchucks. But you rarely see the cameraman step in and turn the tables on the culprit.
The video shows Mr. Vinall chasing away this huge balaclava-clad would-be thief holding a power tool. “Look at me!” he shouts, trying to pull off the would-be thief’s mask and commit his face to celluloid. But the only thing you can see in the shaky footage is the fear in his eyes. The man turns to flee, taking the angle-grinder with him as he narrowly dodges a passing car.
Reflecting on the encounter a day later, the cameraman said: “I just can’t stand people who take advantage of others. People like that just annoy me. He was so blatant. I just thought ‘You can’t do that’.”
The would-be thief was as determined as he was incompetent, coming back three times before police finally arrived. “I was 20 minutes away from going on air when I called them so of course they turned up just as we went live,” says Mr. Vinall. “We caught the blue lights turning the corner which made our package look a bit more exciting to be fair.
A Met Police said investigations continue, with no arrests so far. In a city like London, where bike crime seems to be on the rise, it’s heartening to see people like Mark Vinall stepping in to protect others’ property. It’s a reminder that community vigilance and quick thinking can make a real difference in preventing crime.
As a journalist, I am grateful for the support that allows me to continue covering stories like these. Your support helps us to tell these important stories and shed light on issues affecting our community. Thank you for standing with us and helping to keep our city safe.
