Robert Powell fears e-bikes will give him a heart attack

Times

14-07-2025

Robert Powell, the Bafta-nominated actor who starred in Jesus of Nazareth, has said that he fears suffering a heart attack after being plagued by rental e-bikes being left outside his north London home for the past four years.
Powell, 81, has spoken out about his ordeal and the 'couple of hundred emails' he has sent to Camden Council over a parking bay for the rental bike operator Lime outside his Highgate home.
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Along with his wife, Barbara Lord, the actor who also appeared in Holby City and The Thirty Nine Steps, has complained of e-bikes crowding their home.
Powell objected to the untidy parking of Lime bikes — seen here in central London — outside his home
ALAMY
He told the Camden New Journal they had sent '570 photographs'.
He said: 'You've got two octogenarians here who are in danger of being killed. I have probably sent a couple of hundred emails about the bike bay. We had 100 bikes outside the front door once. The entire pave­ment has been blocked by bikes.'
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Fearing a 'heart attack' as he was forced to move between 10 and 12 heavy e-bikes each day, Powell said his GP had written a letter to the council ­describing the potential health effects.
'I've had moments myself feeling wobbly moving the bikes out of the path. They are awfully heavy,' he said.
Camden council has said it was moving the parking spot elsewhere. It said: 'We've been in touch with Mr Powell and Mrs Lord and assured them that we're using our powers to relocate this bay.
'While we're committed to promoting active travel options like cycling, we also understand how inappropriate parking of electric bikes can block ­access for residents.'
But Powell said interactions with the council had been a 'literal nightmare' and he felt insulted by the experience.