Skip to content

CCTV could be installed along 'Wild West' cycle path

Google A view of the cycle path with grassy banks either side of it and a person walking along it facing the camera on the rightGoogle
A number of cyclists have been attacked while using the popular route

New CCTV cameras could be installed along the Bristol to Bath cycle path in a bid to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

Under the plans, South Gloucestershire Council would install 20 cameras between the Staple Hill tunnel and the old Mangotsfield railway station, with another two at Warmley Waiting Room.

Councillor Sean Rhodes, cabinet member for communities and local places, said it was just one of a range of ideas being considered.

Maths tutor Rowan Brunswick, 35, was robbed at knifepoint in November and said the path is like the "Wild West" at night.

Mr Brunswick, whose bike was stolen during the incident, has welcomed the council's plans.

"Anything that can be a deterrent to people. I think the path is almost seen as a bit of a wild west, a law free zone," he added.

Google A view of the cycle path with grassy banks either side of it and a cyclist wearing a hi-vis jacket riding along itGoogle
Another cyclist was left "shaken" after being knocked off his bike

"But (the cameras) are only on a specific stretch, I think they need to be more spaced out and at all major exits," he said.

Hugo Rittervazquez, an IT security specialist, was knocked off his bike on a Saturday evening in September while travelling along the cycle path by a man going in the opposite direction.

"Some other guys appeared and started throwing things at me," he said.

Mr Rittervazquez believes they would have stolen his bike and belongings but the group fled when they realised he was not cycling alone.

"I was very shaken," he added.

He said the cameras could be "a good move" but believes "a network of resources" was required to make the path safer including a greater police presence.

'Accessible and usable'

The council is also considering installing new lighting along some stretches.

"The cycle path is a jewel in South Gloucestershire, it has an ecological benefit that we only get through having this dark corridor through the area," Mr Rhodes said.

The cycle paths' fauna includes badgers, bats and glow worms.

"These are things that I know local residents value, so we need to look at all these things in the round, and also how we make the cycle path as accessible and usable for all of our residents," he added.

The council is currently running a consultation on the cameras, which closes on 31 January.

Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.