I'm not saying this makes it any better, but that does look a lot like a little section of fence which has been uprooted and balanced there, rather than a purpose built weapon. Doesn't make it any less lethal of course.
Yes indeed, a ""barbaric" medieval-style "torture unit"" is an upside down bit of fence. Makes a mockery of how bad finding that on a trail is.
Agreed the headline doesn't match the photo. It's not like it's razor wire or round a blind bend. I'd have just dragged the thing out of the way and carried on without giving it much thought, less than it's taken to reply here. Local hunters turn some of our trail into obstacle courses in th ehunting season. We just chuck it away knowing it takes less effort to demolish than build.
Edit: is it wrong to feel disappointed that the pic didn't show some elaborate BDSM device?
BBC clickbait - they have whole teams turning out interweb quick lols to divert attention from all the other stuff they're not reporting on!
So. This is on a section of trail called Short Circuit, which is a side trail on the lower Powerline trail.
It is a piece of old fence that was used to block the line straight down as that's not an official trail (that goes off to the right) that we thought was ripped out and disposed of long ago, but someone obviously found it and repurposed it to turn it into a trap.
Hopefully, when at night this would've been easily seen given you have to slow to go right, but if you were going straight on it would've been tricky to avoid.
We know who the likely culprit is, as we've had issues with the same individual over many years. Certain trails are always having branches and logs placed on them, and at one point we had 3-400 roofing tacks down a trail.
Someone will catch him at it one day and he'll get a well-deserved hoof in the slats, owned with bombers, and pissy shoes.
It was clear when i went the last evenings.
Edit: the reporting is shit. And Chopwell Trail Builders built Short Circuit.
BBC clickbait – they have whole teams turning out interweb quick lols to divert attention from all the other stuff they’re not reporting on!
Oh, do you mean all those people in London on Saturday??
*runs away*
Oh, do you mean all those people in London on Saturday??
*runs away*
The anti-lockdown, anti-mask ****s? They'll probably kill more people than the fence, i guess.
We have a log man down here too. It’s funny how frothed up some people get about other people having fun.
I found a couple of pensioners dragging brambles, thorny branches and the like across a cyclepath into Abingdon
I took their photo and slowly followed them home. Then rode off.
Never saw them again on the path.
ehunting season
Is that as opposed to "acoustic" hunting?
Gotta wonder what goes through their mind. Dementia?
I understand "bloody cyclists, using cycle-paths, they frighten my dog!" and I could see why they'd want to block off paths (even though they're in the wrong). But laying traps that are actually dangerous, they could seriously injure someone or worse.
GBH with Intent is (up to) five years in jail.
Isn’t that Geordie Shore?
I reckon Dad's Army have been on the case.
"That'll keep the tanks out."
Would love to see the original FB post. Presumably the "barbaric" medieval-style "torture unit" comments were in sarcasm font?
Oh, do you mean all those people in London on Saturday??
*runs away*
The people who looked at what's happening in India and thought 'I want some of that'?
Oh, do you mean all those people in London on Saturday??
*runs away*
What, these people the BBC aren't reporting on?
Gotta wonder what goes through their mind. Dementia?
Rage I reckon. The sort of person that does this strikes me as an angry and bitter type. I wonder if they even realise the extent of the injuries that could be caused by their idiocy. Tragically I don’t think they do.
Was it the cyclist who called it barbaric etc. as it is made to appear, or as said above, just clickbait crap journalism? Still dangerous though and must have taken some effort to position it! Chopwell Woods does seem to attract some 'interesting' characters.
That bit of fence would have come in very handy and I only live 1/2 mile away!
@Woody - I know where it is if you want it...we wouldn't mind if it's taken out of the way of temptation!
heads up to anyone going to chopwell, found today.
Is the text on the Hamsterley Riders FB page where it was (I think) first put.
Isn’t that Geordie Shore?
😂 this deserves more credit
Cheers but on reflection it might look more than a bit dodgy loading a ?stolen fence from the woods 😉