An Aberdeen councillor has spoken of her shock after youths splattered her with tomato sauce as she was cycling home from work.
Labour’s Kate Blake was struck by a group of about six teenagers while she was making her way up Union Street at around 7pm on Monday night.
The Kingswells, Sheddocksley and Summerhill councillor had been heading back from the Town House when the item was thrown at her near the Trinity Centre.
Ms Blake explained: “One of them threw something at me, it hit my cheek and it totally shocked me.
“It felt quite solid when it hit me and I could feel liquid so I thought, am I bleeding?”
After stopping at traffic lights, she reached up to her face and realised it was tomato ketchup and luckily not blood.
When the elected member eventually arrived home, she found the sauce had gone all over her cheek, bag, jacket, leggings and bike.
“I was quite shaken,” she added.
Union Street plans will ‘make people more safe’
The incident came as councillors agreed to approve £100 million plans to transform the Granite Mile.
The proposal will see cycle lanes added to the northern side of Union Street, running from Holburn Junction down to the Castlegate.
But Ms Blake doesn’t think incidents like this will stop people from cycling in the city.
“Safety is a key issue in people’s minds when they cycle and I believe firmly that segregated infrastructure will make people more safe.
“This was an awful incident for me but in reality, the danger to you as a cyclist often comes from vehicles so segregation will encourage more people to cycle.”
However, the councillor believes the bike lanes will help to “normalise” cycling as a way to travel and make Aberdeen residents feel more confident on two wheels.
Cyclists left feeling ‘vulnerable’
Ms Blake admitted she has never had anything thrown at her while cycling before but said the incident wouldn’t deter her from getting on her bike in the future.
She also said it was “important” that more of the city’s residents choose to cycle and leave their cars at home.
Ms Blake claimed that cyclists face multiple dangers including cars, taxis and buses passing too closely, something that she noted was “quite a common occurrence”.
“A taxi driver shouted at me on Union Street about six months ago as he felt I was in the wrong place turning on to Holburn Street.
“It’s always a shock when someone does something like that and you are quite vulnerable because you are only on a bike.
“I can see why people would look at something like that, and may be put off.”
She also claims that she could have been specifically targeted because she is female.
“There is an issue that women cyclists are quite easy to target sometimes but I don’t think it’s specific to our city.”
Would intimidating youths put you off cycling in Aberdeen city centre? Let us know in our comments section below
More action needed to entertain city’s youths
But councillor Blake said the incident raised a bigger issue in Aberdeen.
She thinks there needs to be more activities for young people to enjoy during the evenings.
“There is a question about youth work and what there is for young people to do.
“If that was my child I would be horrified.”
She praised the youth club scheme in Summerhill that will soon be replicated in Northfield, but believes more city centre-based activities would help curb any bad behaviour.
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