Moment two moped riders burst into shop and threaten customers before hurling chair at window
EXCLUSIVE Moment two moped riders burst into shop and threaten customers before hurling chair at window ‘after row broke out when they tried to enter low traffic neighbourhood’ in Dulwich
A witness said the men argued with a pedestrian about driving down the road They followed the man to a cafe, stormed inside and threatened customersOne woman, who appeared to film the incident, claimed she was head-buttedPolice were called and 14 officers and four cars attended after the riders had left
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CCTV footage shows the moment two moped riders stormed into a London cafe, threatened staff and attempted to smash a glass window after being told they could not enter a low traffic neighbourhood.
The incident, outside the Au Ciel Patisserie, in Dulwich, London, happened at about 10.30am on Sunday and resulted in four police cars and 14 officers being sent to the scene.
Roger Wilkinson, a director at the cafe, said the incident started when the two moped riders were told, by a passing pedestrian, they could not travel down Calton Avenue towards Dulwich Village as it is a low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) and therefore boxed off to motorists.
Taking exception to that, the two riders started verbally abusing the pedestrian, according to Mr Wilkinson, who then went over to assist.
He described them as two young white men, one being about 6ft 1in and the other about 5ft 10in.
The pedestrian sought refuge in the Au Ciel Patisserie but was followed by the two men who parked up outside before storming in and confronting customers, including two young children.
One female customer, who appeared to have been filming the incident through the door, was then set upon by the shorter of the two riders.
One of the moped riders hurls a metal chair at the window to Au Ciel Patisserie, in Dulwich, on Sunday morning
A woman claimed she was headbutted by one of the moped riders who can be seen shouting in her face
In CCTV footage, released by the cafe, he can be seen squaring up to the woman and at one point appears to headbutt her while continuing to wear his helmet.
During this, the taller of the riders is seen shouting and gesticulating with a man who had been outside when the incident started. At one point, he lifts his helmet above his head but his appearance is hidden behind a balaclava-style face covering.
The whole incident happened in front of another man and woman and a young child. The second young child and another woman ran to the back of the cafe as the two riders stormed inside.
While continuing to shout abuse at customers and staff, both riders retreat outside before one returns on his moped, parks up outside and throws two metal chairs at the front window in an attempt to smash it.
Both moped riders stormed into the cafe after arguing with a pedestrian about the low traffic neighbourhood measures installed outside
A map shows where Calton Avenue is closed to all passing traffic, except pedestrians and cyclists during peak times
The incident was observed by customers inside the cafe, which included a young boy
Mr Wilkinson said the window is ‘laminated glass’ which stopped it from smashing.
Both men are then seen riding away, before returning one more time to hurl abuse at a man stood in the doorway.
After a few more seconds, they get back on their bikes and drive away.
Mr Wilkinson said a customer inside the shop called the police who arrived approximately five minutes later, once the two riders had fled the scene.
He added: ‘The police weren’t slow getting there but they also weren’t particularly quick. In the end, four police cars and about 14 officers turned up but the riders had gone by then.
‘It was like the riders knew they had five minutes to wreak havoc before anybody could stop them.
‘I questioned if one of the men had taken something because their behaviour was crazy, but that just annoyed him even more. I regret saying that.
‘But they must have been up all night or on something. Surely two young riders like that aren’t up at 10.30 on a Sunday morning, intent on causing damage to a cafe and threatening people?’
Mr Wilkinson said a man had his foot ran over while standing outside the cafe.
He also said a woman claimed to have been headbutted, but he said he had not seen that happen as he was facing in the other direction at the time.
A man is seen on the phone to the police as one of the moped riders (in a silver helmet) continues shouting abuse
The roadblocks placed at the entrance to Calton Avenue. Pictured: Furious motorists ripped out the flowers which had been planted in the roadblocks in Dulwich Village, South London in November last year
MailOnline has approached the Metropolitan Police for comment.
The LTNs were brought in during last year to redirect traffic away from residential areas, which involved installing cycle lanes, closing off roads to through traffic and widening pavements.
Calton Avenue was one of those areas and Southwark council hoped the scheme would reduce traffic and pollution, and encourage more people to walk and cycle.
As a result, three flower boxes were installed at the entrance of the road, outside the cafe.
The controversial decision to introduce low traffic neighbourds – also know as LTNs – was met with opposition from local residents, with some even ripping up the flowerbeds that stopped motorists accessing the area.
Photos showed the plants needlessly dying on the asphalt and the road sprinkled with soil
Fortunately green-fingered residents were able to quickly replace the bulbs that were pulled out
The scheme was designed to encourage more people to walk or cycle, and reduce traffic pollution
The ‘culture war’ between drivers and cyclists erupted at the end of November 2020 after councils were given government funding to close some roads, to allow children to safely cycle to school.
However vigilante drivers – who claim the closure of residential roads gridlocked main roads in London – took matters into their own hands.
In that incident, furious motorists ripped out the flowers which had been planted in the roadblocks.
Photos showed the plants needlessly dying on the asphalt and the road sprinkled with soil. Fortunately green-fingered residents were able to quickly replace the bulbs.
Last month it was announced seven LTNs were to be scrapped after they were found to increase local congestion and caused ‘no material change in air quality’.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps previously announced the scheme – which plans for 200 LTNs across the country – is to receive hundreds of millions of pounds as part of the Government’s so-called ‘green transport revolution’, which hopes to reduce car use by encouraging walking and cycling.
However a year after being introduced, seven out of the nine LTNs in Ealing had ‘no data available on whether there has been an impact on walking and cycling’, a report found.
Ealing Council even discovered an increase in traffic on one road within the Acton LTN, as well as an increase in cars travelling on its boundary roads.
