Cyclist mugged by west London moped raiders on her birthday

Mugging victim: May Bulman
May Bulman
Hannah Al-Othman17 May 2016
WEST END FINAL

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A student who was mugged on her birthday has spoken out to warn other cyclists after her rucksack was snatched from her bicycle basket by moped thieves while she rode through west London.

May Bulman, who is studying for an MA in Journalism at City University, was riding down Kensington High Street at 11.30am on Saturday when the two men struck.

The 23-year-old, who lives in Kensington’s Avonmore Road, said the experience was even more distressing because the moped riders struck on her birthday.

She told the Standard: “I was riding down Kensington High Street and I had my rucksack in my bike basket.

“There was this moped with two guys on it – it had been in front of me and veered left but then turned back into the road after.

“I had kind of noticed the motorbike because the guy on the back wasn’t sitting on it properly – it was a weird way of riding.

“Then they came next to me and grabbed my bag out of my basket and drove off.

“It had my phone in it, my purse, a new top that I’d just bought from Zara, a birthday card with a Topshop voucher in it from my grandma, the bag was new too; it was rubbish.”

Miss Bulman said the experience has left her more vigilant, but has caused her to “lose her trust” in people.

She said: “I was shocked, I’d heard of it happening, but on a street like Kensington High Street you don’t expect that kind of thing to happen, especially when there are lots of people around.

“I couldn’t believe they just took it and rode off, I thought it was a joke.

“I kept riding for a bit and shouted something at them, but I was never going to catch them. There was nothing I could do about it.

“I sat down on the pavement and started crying, I couldn’t really believe it.

“It was horrible, but I’m glad I wasn’t injured.

”The police said that 20 minutes before the same guys had knocked a girl off her bike and she had serious head injuries.

"They said it was a gang from Fulham."

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: "Police were called on Saturday, May 14 at around 11.48am to a report of a theft of a bag at Abingdon Road junction with Kensington High Street

"Officers attended and were informed by the victim, a 23-year-old woman that she had been cycling along High Street Kensington.

"At around 11.45am a moped - with two males- pulled alongside her and one of them snatched her bag from the front basket of her pedal cycle.

"The rider and the pillion passenger then made off. Both suspects were wearing helmets and dark clothing."

She said no arrests had been made and officers from Kenway Safer Neighbourhoods Team were investigating.

Anyone with information should contact police at Kensington and Chelsea by dialling 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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