York councillor condemns ‘deeply worrying' incident that left man ‘shaken'
North Yorkshire Police said a cyclist was chased and shouted at by a group of around eight children at the Hob Moor nature reserve at 9.10pm on Friday, August 8.
A force spokesperson said the group would not move to let the cyclist pass, and he 'nearly fell of his bike trying to swerve them'.
'The children then ran after the man shouting at him; the man continued to cycle home feeling shaken by the incident,' they added.
Officers are now appealing for witnesses, urging anyone with information to contact North Yorkshire Police.
Stephen Fenton, Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward councillor, has urged the force to 'take action' in identifying those involved.
He also called for increased police patrols in Hob Moor to avoid anything similar from happening again.
"I regularly cycle across Hob Moor and it could just as easily have been me on the receiving end,' the Liberal Democrat councillor said.
'I contacted the police as soon as I was made aware of this incident to ask for an assurance that resources will be deployed to apprehend these youths before someone is seriously hurt. As yet, I have not received a response.
"It's deeply worrying that these children thought it was OK to terrorise someone who was just on their way home.
'Do the parents know what their children are up to? If not, they need to be made aware.
'As and when the police identify the culprits, there need to be some frank conversations had with the families to make it clear that this behaviour is completely unacceptable.'
'We take your concerns seriously,' say police
The North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said its officers 'work closely with communities and with partners and listen to what matters' to them.
'We take your concerns seriously and your reports help us to ensure that our patrols are intelligence led, ensuring we have the right resources in the right place, at the right time,' they said.
'ASB [anti-social behaviour] is unacceptable and can make people feel vulnerable in their own neighbourhoods.
'If you see anything of concern, let us know – together we can build stronger communities and safer streets.'
They asked anyone in the area at the time of the incident in Hob Moor to phone North Yorkshire Police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Quote police reference 12250148532 when passing on information.
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