Former London cycling boss 'very close to being paralysed' in 'deliberate' road rage attack

Former London cycling commissioner Andrew Gilligan has found himself on the receiving end of a "deliberate" road rage attack which in his opinion could have left him paralysed.

The incident occurred last Wednesday evening (April 4) as Gilligan rode through the City of London when a black SUV stopped suddenly in front of him, causing him to go into the back of the car.

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Speaking to the Evening Standard, Gilligan said that he went to talk to the driver, but then thought better of it.

"He looked rather threatening so I thought I should cycle off. He revved up and went straight into the back of me," Gilligan said.

“I was knocked off my bike and lying on the ground, bleeding. I could see him racing away. Police were on the scene very quickly and arrested the guy.”

Gilligan also tweeted about the incident, saying that his bike was a wreck but that he had escaped with cuts and bruises, although these were bad enough to make him housebound for the past week.

“I have tyre marks on my shoes. It could have been so much worse. I am very, very shaken — I was very close to being paralysed. He was not intending to do my health any good," Gilligan continued.

"My feet are all bruised so I cannot walk any kind of speed or distance. I’ve been more or less at home for the past eight days."

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City of London Police confirmed that a man had been arrested in connection with the incident. He also since been released pending further investigation.

Gilligan was appointed as London's first cycling commissioner by former Mayor of London Boris Johnson in 2013, helping to start construction of the capital's network of cycle superhighways.

Gilligan left that role after the election of Sadiq Khan to the Mayor's office in 2016, and now works as a senior correspondent for the Sunday Times newspaper.