Female cyclist ‘sprayed with orange condiment and filmed’ by men near Sheffield

Dr Kate Wilkinson Cross has warned other cyclists to ‘watch out’ after the ordeal which happened as she travelled towards Sheffield through Hope Valley yesterday (Tuesday, June 2).

At around 2.30pm, Kate was cycling up Surprise View when a van drove past and she was splattered with orange condiment.

She was particularly shaken when a passenger in the van took out his phone to record her reaction.

Kate, a law lecturer who has been cycling for around 15 years, said: “It was mainly surprise and shock that it had happened, especially as the lads decided to record it.

“I didn't want to give them much of a reaction so as not to encourage them to do it more. But it was horrible and I felt pretty shaken, angry and really vulnerable.”

Although Kate didn’t get the van’s registration number, she reported the incident to the police.

But she is also keen to stress that she has had mostly positive experiences on her bike since the lockdown came into force, with drivers going the extra mile to accommodate her on the roads.

“I went home, changed, showered and then headed out on the bike again to prove to myself that it was an isolated thing,” she said.

“I want to emphasise that I've had so many positive experiences since the lockdown. It seems like more drivers are giving extra space when overtaking and waiting until it's safe to do so.

“I want to to recognise that as such behaviour should be acknolwedged.

“Also, as more families and new cyclists are on the road, I don't want them to be put off. It was a rare, and unfortunate occurance.”

The van was white and had a red triangular sticker on the left-hand corner of the right hand rear door.

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Police said: “We would want to hear from anyone who recognises the description of the van- they can contact the force using the usual methods.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to The Star website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Visit https://www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you

Nancy Fielder, editor