A naked cyclist participating in a charity bike ride in Chelmsford, Essex, was assaulted by two men on e-scooters on June 20, 2026, leaving him with red bruises. The victim, who wished to be identified only as Mo, was kicked in the thigh during the World Naked Bike Ride protest against car culture.
Incident Details
Video footage shows Mo and other nude cyclists riding along Duke Street around 4pm when two unidentified men on e-scooters drove past. The men then turned back and kicked Mo in the thigh. The force of the kick was distributed across a wide area, preventing severe injury, but left bruising on his lower and upper thigh. Mo narrowly avoided being hit by a bus during the attack.
Mo stated: 'His foot hit the lower part of my thigh first, then slid all the way up to my stomach. Fortunately, because the impact was distributed across this wide area, the force was absorbed, preventing a severe injury. The attack left some red bruises on both the lower and upper parts of my thigh.' He added: 'I will not let violence like this stop me from participating in the protest.'
Previous Attack
This incident follows a similar attack in August 2025, when another nude cyclist, Rob Brown, 59, was punched by motorcyclist Lee Turnage, 46, during a Four Seasons World Naked Bike Ride event in Colchester, Essex. Brown struck the pavement and Turnage received a suspended prison sentence for causing actual bodily harm.
Police Investigation
Essex Police confirmed an investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made yet. The World Naked Bike Ride is organized by environmental groups to protest against car culture and promote body positivity.
Understanding Naturism
Naturism, also known as nudism, is a non-sexual movement that encourages people to reconnect with nature by removing clothing. British Naturism advocates for public nudity in appropriate settings. According to a 2022 survey commissioned by British Naturism, approximately 6.7 million people in the UK identify with a clothing-optional lifestyle. The College of Policing states that public nudity is only a crime if it involves a sexual offense or behavior likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress.
