People in Leicester said they were “really not surprised” to see the recent video, which appeared to show a cyclist throwing a knife into bushes off a busy city centre footpath.
The widely shared video shows two cyclists, wearing Deliveroo-branded jackets and delivery bags, appearing to get into an argument with two other men in Great Central Way.
One of the men wearing Deliveroo-branded clothing is then seen dropping a Lidl shopping bag and running back to his bike with a knife in his hand.
Once back on their bikes, one of the cyclists then ditches the knife, throwing it into the bushes and making off on Upperton Road, near Bede Park.
Whether the pair actually work for Deliveroo, or if they got their hands on the uniform and are wearing it for other reasons, is unclear.
Upon hearing about the incident, Leicestershire Live visited the area, where police officers appeared to be actively searching for the weapon from the video on Saturday morning (April 25).
Great Central Way footpath(Image: Leicester Mercury)
Hayden Bark, who regularly uses the city centre footpath, said: “I’m really not surprised to hear about it, to be honest.
“I’m from Rothley, and there was a double stabbing in Quorn the other day, which was very surprising, seeing how nice that village is, but to hear of a knife crime incident here in the city is not surprising at all.”
Despite the incident, Hayden said he would still walk down Great Central Way without a worry. He said: “I feel safe around here day or night, a little knife crime incident doesn’t scare me, I’ve seen worse!
“The only scary thing about it is how often you hear about incidents involving knives. Back in my day, police officers would be more strict about things, so fewer people acted out of line.”
Hayden said he would still walk down the footpath at night(Image: Leicester Mercury)
A similar opinion was given by Dave McCall, who also regularly uses the footpath.
He said: “I like this footpath, especially this time of the year when all the trees and plants start to look pretty, it’s a gorgeous walk.
“I’d walk here at night too, I don’t have any problems with it. But I can see how other people, such as young girls and women might not want to walk here.”
After being informed about the recent incident, the 40-year-old De Montfort University professor said: “It’s a shame things like that happen, but to be honest, it sounds like it was a random attack, so it doesn’t affect my feeling of safety around here.
“It is so easy to get a knife these days, though, which is why we’re seeing these incidents happen more often. We recently had the fatal stabbing outside of DMU, which was terrible, so I’d say we’re definitely seeing an increase.
“You can see when you walk past people that they keep their heads down because they are afraid to have any interaction because you never know what can happen.”
Speaking to women who were walking along Great Central Way, the opinions seemed to change drastically.
Katerina R, a primary school teacher in Leicester, said: “I think during the day it’s okay, but I wouldn’t walk alone here at night because of the area.”
The 24-year-old added: “It’s different for guys and for girls, because men might not feel as scared to walk down here at night, whereas women would.
“And that is not trying to blame anyone, I just think as a woman, you just never know what might happen, such as this disturbing incident.”
Alice Millard, 27, also said she wouldn’t use the footpath at night. She said: “This footpath would be a big no-go for me at night.
“I just wouldn’t feel safe enough and seeing what happened here the other day with the delivery riders, it just makes it feel even more unsafe.
“It’s sad how these knife crime incidents just seem to be getting more common around Leicester, especially in the city.”
The last place where the knife was spotted in the viral video(Image: Leicester Mercury)
In response to the incident, a Leicestershire Police spokesperson said: “We are aware of the video currently circulating online relating to an incident in Great Central Way.
“We understand the concern this may cause within the community and want to reassure the public that we are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness.
“Officers are actively conducting enquiries, including efforts to locate the weapon involved and identify those responsible.
“This remains a priority, and dedicated resources are being deployed to progress the investigation as swiftly as possible.”
Anyone who may have information, footage, or who witnessed anything related to this incident is being asked to come forward, as officers said: “Your assistance could be vital in helping us take appropriate action.”
Leicestershire Live has approached the Deliveroo press office for a comment on the incident.
