Cyclist got attacked in East London

A friend of mine just got attacked in St James Garden near Aldgate East, East London in her neighbourhood. I am not sure where this garden is exactly, but she said it has a path for walking and a path for cycling, and there are always a bunch of Asian guys sitting round there and seek for opporunities to attack cyclists for fun. At about 7pm, so there was still sunlight, she was cycling through there and got surrounded by those guys, they pulled her off her bike, trying to mug her, although she didn't give in anything, but her knee and bike are both damaged. Althought she is now home and safe, she is, understandably, shaken up. I am posting this because

1. Can someone advise on what she should do other than calling the police, which she is doing as we speak.

2. Has anyone here experienced / witness's anything like this in that area?

3. As a warning to anyone who might be cycling pass there to be extra careful and maybe to avoid try cyclig through there.

Cheers

Go back and surreptitiously attempt to get some snaps of them?

Call the police. Any CCTV of the area?

I don't think she'd want to go anywhe near there anytime soon. She said she wants to call the council to suggest some CCTVs to be installed.Any thoughts?

Call the police. Any CCTV of the area?

My impression is none. My experience with dealing with the police is they do fuck all, victim injuried or not. I hope she get some results.

St James' Garden is on the CS2 - it's where the route crosses over the Limehouse Link and onto the Narrows. I used to use it a lot until I realised a quicker route, and I've also seen a lot of asian youths hanging out there and once or twice being a bit rowdy. I've not really felt threatened there - I've always been more worried about kids (and their parents) stepping out without looking further down on Cable Street. As this is one of the Barclays Superhighways that TFL is touting as the future of encouraging cycling, maybe they would be interested in knowing about this - and maybe they would wield influence over police priorities over and above us mere mortals? I'm sure that they would not want to have any bad publicity relating to that route.

Yes @ Wen Jian's comment about the CS route. Maybe LCC or Roadpeace might be worth contacting. Also CTC may be able to offer legal help - they do to members, even those that join after an incident.

Please ask your friend to write an account of it immediately. That's a good step to take I hear.

Just sent her the link to this page, she said thanks and will act on your advices. She called the police and they got to hers pretty quickly, took a statement and said will check the CCTV in due course. She also said the police say she coud go with them to identify anyone. I really do hope something will get resolved. But then what would happen to those guys? A slap on the wrist? I am feeling a bit depresed...

sorry to hear about your friend. i hope it will not put her off cycling.

yes. its a problem with segregation.

the bullies know where to go to do their bullying.

and a shortcoming inherent with cycling lanes.

fortunately these incidents are rare.

lets hope the police deal with it.

i will raise the matter with tower hamlets council.

Just sent her the link to this page, she said thanks and will act on your advices. She called the police and they got to hers pretty quickly, took a statement and said will check the CCTV in due course. She also said the police say she coud go with them to identify anyone. I really do hope something will get resolved. But then what would happen to those guys? A slap on the wrist? I am feeling a bit depresed...

I know how you feel; but I think the police are pretty focussed on that general area. I saw them descend in a party van upon a group of lads near the mural in Brick Lane recently, in response to some very young boys picking on each other.