A motorist has described how he and his partner feared for their lives as they were chased by youths brandishing a machete and knife on e-bikes in Cardiff. The man believes the culprits are the same pair filmed on Gabalfa Avenue striking a car before pursuing it as it pulls away on August 27. He reported the incident, in which he was pursued in his car on North Road in July, to police, who confirmed they are investigating.
Incident details
The motorist, who does not want to be identified, said Whitchurch and Gabalfa are being "terrorised" by balaclava-clad youths on illegal e-bikes intent on violence. Police have used an aeroplane in recent months to crack down on e-bikes in the area. When he saw the WalesOnline story and the accompanying video of males hidden behind balaclavas brandishing a machete on Gabalfa Avenue, he said he recognised them from his own experience nearby one early evening in July.
He warned someone could be killed by their reckless behaviour, saying they seem to be acting out their version of the film Hunger Games where individuals go out to kill or be killed for entertainment. "They are trying to get a reaction so they can chase or kill. It's like a game of Hunger Games for them," the man said. "They are terrorising the local area of Whitchurch and Gabalfa. They are going to kill someone, it's only a matter of time."
Pursuit and threats
The motorist, who has worked in security for eight years and is due to join the police in a few weeks, said the pair pursued his car on July 7 for around 10 minutes. He said they appeared sober and not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and deliberately tried to goad drivers by riding erratically around them. His ordeal began when he was driving on Gabalfa roundabout with his partner in the passenger seat and noticed two young males on e-bikes driving near and between cars. One was wearing black and wielding a machete while the other wore a grey Nike tracksuit and pulled out a knife.
The e-bikers veered across lanes on North Road, and when they careered in front of his car, the driver slammed on his brakes to avoid hitting them and beeped. This seemed to enrage the pair, who swore at him, threatened him, and began to chase him. "I slammed the brakes on and one shouted: 'pull the f*** over, I am going to kill you both.'"
Police response and wider context
He said the two males were riding illegal Surron e-bikes, were white, aged about between 18 and 22, and yelled in what he described as "strong Cardiff/Ely accents". The pair chased his car for around 10 minutes, attempting to strike it with the machete, and one youth hit and scratched his car with a knife. "The police have fingerprints and DNA from one of the males because he slapped my wing mirror without his glove on," he said. The pursuit ended when he headed towards the police station in Cathays, where more CCTV may have deterred them.
South Wales Police are investigating this incident as well as the Gabalfa Avenue attack after which a man was treated in hospital for a leg injury. A police spokesperson said: "Officers have been investigating this incident which took place on the afternoon of July 7. The driver understandably feared for his safety as he was threatened by two males who were wearing face coverings and damaged his car." Inspector Tim Ursell said: "The community are rightly concerned by this and other recent incidents and we share these concerns. We understand how distressing and intimidating the illegal and anti-social use of e-bikes and motorbikes can be for the local community. Those responsible are often wearing face coverings and all dark clothing to avoid being identified and communicate with each other via mobile phone when officers are seen patrolling in the area. Despite this, we are running successful operations in partnership with the local authority, and more than 800 illegal e-bikes and scooters have been seized across Cardiff since last summer. This work is continuing. As a direct result of information received, we recently executed a search warrant in Gabalfa Avenue seizing two Sur-Ron bikes, cash, a balaclava and three spare Sur-Ron batteries. I would appeal to the community to please continue to work with us and provide information in confidence."
Police have been carrying out operations targeting illegal e-bikes, off-road bikes, and anti-social behaviour across Cardiff, including the use of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter support from the National Police Air Service. Earlier this year, a short-term police dispersal order was introduced in the Gabalfa area, covering Gabalfa Avenue, Aberporth Road, Waterston Road and Cathedral View. According to the South Wales Police website, officers' main priorities as of March 2026 are drug dealing and using, anti-social behaviour and e-bike related theft.
