Police officer’s bike snatched while enforcing social distancing measures

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Police are looking for witnesses after an officer’s bike was snatched while he was out telling people to stick to social distancing rules.

Thames Valley Police said a group of men used “intimidating and threatening language” towards a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) and took his bicycle after they were approached while playing a game of cricket in Slough.

“Guys, this isn’t funny,” the officer can be heard saying in a video of the incident.

“You just got robbed,” someone shouted after a man ran off with the bike.

The frontline officer called for backup, but ended up getting his bicycle back when the group fled the scene.

Thames Valley Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward after the PCSO was “intimidated” by a group at Godolphin playing fields in Slough, Berkshire, on Monday evening.

He had approached the group — who were in their late teens to mid 20s — to “explain the importance of them adhering to the current restrictions on public gatherings” during the coronavirus pandemic, the force said.

Superintendent Gavin Wong, the local policing commander for Slough, said: “We are fully committed to supporting the fight against the coronavirus in order to save lives, and we need to remember that officers on the front line put themselves at risk in order to do that.”

“I know the local community will be embarrassed by the actions of a small number of people because the vast majority of people understand what is required and have complied with the rules around coronavirus.”

People have been urged to stay at home unless it is essential — for example, to go to work or get groceries — as part of efforts the contain the spread of the virus.

The government has also banned public gatherings of more than two people during the pandemic.

Mr Wong said officers went back to the playing fields in Slough on Tuesday and found a group of men playing cricket. “They attempted to run off but they were detained and issued with fixed penalty notices,” he said.

The superintendent said the PCSO was not injured during Monday’s incident and showed “professionalism and great constraint”.

Mr Wong said the incident was being “investigated fully” and he appealed for anyone with information about the incident or who knows anyone who might be involved to come forward.

“We are particularly wishing to trace a man who is Asian, with a thin beard and moustache, short dark cropped hair, wearing what appears to be a black traditional robe, and black sliders.”

He added: “We are also looking to trace a man who was involved in riding on the bike who is Asian, wearing a dark T-shirt and trousers, we also looking to trace the other males who were present in the park and involved in the incident.”

The UK has been in lockdown since March over Covid-19, which has infected around 195,000 people to date in the UK.

The death toll for coronavirus patients stood at 29,427 as of Monday afternoon, according to government figures.