Police in Tower Hamlets are appealing for information and witnesses after a female cyclist was pushed from a towpath into the Regent’s Canal.
Police were called on Thursday, 21 May at 19:30hrs to reports of a cyclist in the water between Commercial Road and Salmon Lane in Limehouse.
It appears that the 33-year-old woman had been riding north along the canal path when she noticed a group of teenagers walking towards her. She slowed down and as she tried to pass heard one shout out an order to push her in. A female member of the group then lunged forward and pushed at the victim’s upper torso, sending her into the water with her bike.
As she attempted to climb out of the canal the victim noticed the group of five or six teenagers running away along the towpath. They headed under the Commercial Road foot tunnel and over the Limehouse marine lock foot bridge towards Limehouse DLR station.
They were described as Asian, both male and female and aged between 16 and 18 years.
The female who pushed the victim had long dark hair and was wearing dark sun glasses.
A passing jogger was able to rescue the female and retrieve her bike before alerting police. She had suffered shock and grazing.
Officers from the Met’s Marine Policing Unit (MPU) attended along with local officers from Tower Hamlets.
Anyone with information should call Tower Hamlet’s CID based at Limehouse police station on 020 7275 4546 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
