A brave cyclist has revealed how he fought of a hammer wielding gang who attempted to steal his £6,000 e-bike – by spraying them with marker paint.
Shocking video footage showed how 59-year-old Rafal Kalinowski was attacked by six thugs on mopeds while riding home from work.
He was pushed off his bike but quickly leapt to his feet and pulled out a can of red paint to spray at the gang sending them fleeing along the road.
The video showed how the masked hammer-wielding thug sprinted away.
Another of the would-be robbers was left behind in their panic to flee and had to sprint after an accomplice on a moped – before police confirmed four men had been arrested in connection with the attack.
Rafal Kalinowski, from West Bromwich, shared how he fended off six thugs on his way home
The avid cyclist fought back against the gang trying to steal his £6,000 e-bike
Describing the attack Rafal said he had sensed something was about to happen when he noticed six people on three mopeds masked and not wearing crash helmets.
He was recording his ride home in West Bromwich, West Midlands, from a camera fitted to his backpack.
Rafal said: ‘I thought there was something wrong when I saw the mopeds with no registration plates. They were coming in the opposite direction to me and looked at my bike.
I noticed that they turned around and them rode up behind me. They shoved me off the bike and I hit my head. One of them had a hammer but I swore at him in Polish. He was surprised.’
The warehouse operative, who has lived in the UK for a decade, said he always carried a can of spray paint in a side pocket on his ruck sack.
‘It was three years old and I was just hoping that it worked as it was past its sell by date,’ he said.
‘I just started spraying and they ran away. I was very happy as they did not get my bike.’
Rafal reported the attempted robbery to police and was called the following day to bring the spray can to the police station.
Four men had been arrested on suspicion of theft and police had seized their clothing and wanted to compare the red paint to that from the can. I am happy that they have been arrested.’
Rafal upload the video to Tik Tok where it has been viewed thousands of times. It was also on X, formerly Twitter, where dozens other praised his heroic stand against the would be robbers.’
He said:’ I brought the spray on Amazon and it is perfectly legal. I am so glad that had it with me and that it worked. I’ve never been in a situation like that before, and hope it never happens again.’
Rafal said he uses the Cube EMTB bike each day to cycle to and from work.
‘I love cycling so it would have been devastation to have it stolen,’ he said.
West Midlands Police said nine people had been arrested over a series of thefts and attempted thefts in the Sandwell area.
A post on the Sandwell Police Facebook page detailed the arrests which took place last week.
It said: ‘Three men and a teenage boy have been arrested in connection with a number of robberies and vehicle crime offences in #Sandwell.
‘Over the last 48 hours, there have been several reports of robberies and vehicle crime offences in Tipton and West Bromwich.
‘On Tuesday (7 Aug), a scooter was robbed from a man in his 30s on Dewberry Drive by a group of men also riding scooters.
‘On the same day, a man in his 50s was pushed off his electric bike by a group of men on Bromford Lane, West Bromwich and attempt was made to steal his bike.
The group of thugs attempted to rob a man in his 50s of his e-bike, by shoving him onto the floor (pictured)
But the cyclist bravely fought back and sprayed an unidentified red liquid at the assailants (pictured)
Four men have been arrested in connection with the incident as well as a spate of robberies and vehicle crime offences which occurred in the span of 48 hours in the Sandwell area
‘A motorbike was also stolen from Burnt Tree in Tipton and an attempt was made to steal a moped from Bromford Lane, West Bromwich.
‘The following day (8 Aug), on West Bromwich Ringway, a man in his 30s was threatened with a knife by a group of men and his electric bike and mobile phone were stolen.
‘Last night, officers were patrolling the Wednesbury area when they received reports of four men loading a bike into a taxi.
‘We quickly responded and arrested the four occupants and recovered the bike which is believed to be stolen.
‘Two 20-year-old men, an 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy from Sandwell have been arrested in connection with the recent incidents and remain in custody for questioning.’
