Runner confronts pensioners who were setting traps for cyclists in popular park

The pair were carrying a large log to leave across a path used by riders 

A runner has revealed how he confronted pensioners who were leaving traps for cyclists in a popular park.

Alex Osborne saw the pair, both believed to be in their sixties, carrying a large log in Linn Park, Glasgow on Monday (May 3), initially assuming there must be an innocent reason. 

But after approaching the pensioners, they informed Osbourne that they had intended to cause a crash because they wanted to stop cyclists using the park, The Daily Record newspaper reports. 

Osborne said: "I saw they were carrying this big log but I thought maybe they were taking it home to burn until I saw the man place it down. 

"I went over and said that's going to cause a hazard for cyclists and he said 'that's exactly what it's there for'.

"I said that could cause serious damage and he replied 'that's the intention, we want to stop cyclists coming in the park'.” 

Osborne said if he hadn’t seen the couple laying the traps, people may have assumed they were set by young people. He added that the couple fired a tirade of abuse at him as he moved the dangerous obstacle. 

The runner said he then found more logs set along the route as he continued on his way, which he moved out of the way as he passed.  

Linn Park is a large green space near the city of Glasgow, open for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and runners. 

Chair of the Friends of Linn Park group, Dorothy Buchanan, told The Daily Record said the park is open to all and that “there is no excuse for the sort of behaviour which seeks to destroy another person’s happiness.”  

Cyclist safety continues to be a hot topic in the UK and further afield. 

Olympic champion Elinor Barker was forced to take a few days of training after she was hit by a car when the driver failed to stop at a roundabout.

>>> Passionate cyclist died after being hit by a police car during her first 10km run  

Thankfully, Barker suffered minor injuries and only missed a few days of training in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer.  

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Alex Ballinger

Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.  Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.