Criminal investigations are now underway into an attack recorded on film that saw this cyclist pushed from his bike into a ditch by a passenger in a passing car.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland has launched an investigation into an attack on an elderly cyclist who was pushed into a ditch at speed by a back seat passenger in a passing car.
A man has lodged a complaint with the police and believes he was the victim of the attack that was recorded on a telephone camera and has since gone viral.
The PSNI said a man came forward on Monday and described falling victim to an incident similar to that depicted in the footage.
The victim told the police he was pushed form his bike by somebody in a passing car at about 12.30pn last Friday, June 24th, on the Ballyarnett Road in Co Derry.
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He believed the car involved was driven towards Muff; a just distance away just over the border into Co Donegal.
The PSNI at Strand Road station in Derry are investigating the attack and have urged anyone who thinks they recognise the man in the footage or who has any other information to come forward.
The Garda said it was aware of the incident and was also investigating it.
A joint operation both sides of the border would be needed if the crime was carried out in the North but the suspects lived in the Republic,
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A voice that can be heard over the footage states: "Right boys, this is the new challenge".
The Facebook user who first posted it said he was no present when the clip was recorded but later bemoaned the fact it had been removed by Facebook.
"Video got removed some crack while it lasted," he said.
The attack was recorded on the camera phone of one of the other occupants of the car and the short clip posted on Facebook.
Stickybottle on Monday broke the news of the recording’s existence but it was already going viral and had been viewed over 250,000 times, with that tally now well past one million.
Facebook initially refused to remove the footage, saying it did not violate its rules.
However, while it eventually succumbed to the pressure of those who objected; the short clip had been saved by others in different formats and is still online. One format has been viewed over 750,000.
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