Fareham cyclist '˜shot with BB gun' by van passenger on country lane

Gary Chambers was making his way back to Fareham last night when he was hit in West Sussex.

The 32-year-old Royal Navy diver was on a training ride when he was left bruised in the incident at about 8pm.

He said the sharp pain in his right hip – caused by ‘what must have been a pellet’ – was ‘quite a shock’.

‘I was cycling along keeping myself to myself when a van came speeding past me and I felt an almighty pain in my right side,’ Mr Chambers said.

‘As soon as I looked up it had sped off, but I had to stop riding for a minute because I was in pain.

‘The mark on my hip looked like it was caused by a pellet and it started to bruise immediately.’

Travelling at about 25mph, Mr Chambers said the van drove ‘within one foot’ of his bike before accelerating down the road.

He said: ‘I was going fast myself but the van just shot past at speed – it must have been going about 50mph.

‘I met a group of three cyclists about a mile down the road and they all said exactly the same thing happened to them. I gave them my contact details and they called the police.’

As a member of the Fareham Wheelers Cycling Club, Mr Chambers said the incident on Thursday night has sparked fears that a spate of previous assaults could be reignited.