Advertisement

Man's horrific injuries from booby trap for 'lockdown cyclists'

Cyclists on a popular track are being urged to remain vigilant after a man tore a hole in his mouth when he cycled into a deliberate trap set up amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Neil Nunnerley was cycling in a wooded area near his home in Cardiff, Wales, last week when he was knocked from his bike after being struck in the face and chest by a barrier made of wire and branches, Wales Online reported.

“Blood started to pour from my mouth, then the pain hit and the realisation of what had just happened,” Mr Nunnerley said, according to the publication.

He said he needed to get stitches for a wound that left a small hole inside his mouth, while also suffering bruising to his chest and cuts to his lip.

A similar trap set up along a path near Swansea. Source: Facebook
A similar trap set up along a path near Swansea. Source: Facebook

“He’s very lucky it could have been a lot worse,” his wife Arlette Nunnerley explained on Facebook.

Mr Nunnerley reported the incident to police who are investigating the matter as other reports of similar traps emerge.

One social media user shared a photo of another trap set up near Swansea where a large branch was resting horizontally over a track, while Mr Nunnerley said he had heard of similar traps using barbed wire.

Tensions grow over exercise surge

Mr Nunnerley, who has been using the track for about 30 years, said there has been an increase in walkers and cyclists in the area and revealed growing tensions between non-local walkers and cyclists amid the pandemic.

Neil Nunnerley is a keen cyclist. Source: Facebook
Neil Nunnerley is a keen cyclist. Source: Facebook

"Due to what is happening in the world today, more and more people are out walking for exercise than ever before,” Mr Nunnerley said.

“Dare I say it, but these people may have not frequented this area prior to lockdown and are now shouting at the people who use this area for biking.”

Recreational activity has been a contentious issue in Wales, with the country under stricter lockdown restrictions than neighbouring England.

Many rural communities have been infuriated by English residents travelling to popular tourist spots in Wales as part of the UK’s more lenient exercise restrictions.

Welsh police have been actively seeking non-local visitors and issuing infringement notices.

On Wednesday, police revealed they had fined an English family for travelling 160km to the Welsh seaside town of Porthcawl.

“Just a gentle reminder, English Government guidelines are different from the Welsh Government at present,” the force explained on Twitter.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.