A Fife councillor says she “could have been killed” when she was attacked by a youth on an off-road bike.
Councillor Rosemary Liewald, 64, was left with a bloody face after the attack in woods close to her home in Bowhill, near Cardenden, on Sunday evening.
The youth – thought to be aged between 13 and 17 – smacked Ms Liewald in the face as he drove past her while she walked her dog.
The SNP member for Lochgelly, Cardenden and Benarty says she was walking in Bowhill Woods at around 7.15pm when she heard, then saw, a dirt biker behind her.
She took a blurry picture of the biker on her phone then carried on walking.
‘He raised his arm and hit me fully across the face’
“Minutes later, I looked up as the same biker was now coming towards me along the track I was walking on,” she said.
“I, again, raised my phone and the biker continued to come at me at some speed.
“I assumed he would swerve away as he came closer.
“However, as he came closer he raised his arm and hit me fully across the face, throwing me to the ground, and sped on.”
Ms Liewald was left with a bloody face, a swollen lip and scratches on her arm.
She said: “I believe the rider on the bike last night had full intent to seriously harm me.
“I could have been killed had I hit my head on a stone as I fell, I could have suffered a burst windpipe if he had hit my throat.
“His intention to cause grievous bodily harm has been confirmed by the police.
“If this was a less robust member of the public who was on the track last night, I dread to imagine the consequences.”
She says the dirt bike terror in Bowhill and other nearby villages “must end”.
The councillor continued: “As you know, the communities around Cardenden and Cowdenbeath have been plagued by this behaviour for months.
“Dirt bikers who churn up grassland, who drive through residential areas, who torment and terrify children and families while they are out in playgrounds and community grass spaces.
“Some areas in the villages are becoming ‘no-go areas’.
“The bikers are escalating their activity as they believe they are untouchable. This must end.”
She is also calling for more resources and greater powers to be made available to police officers to tackle the problem.
She said: “I know our police have been told they do not pursue – that’s the remit they’ve been given.
Police issue description of off-road biker involved in attack on councillor
“However, there are no resources within our constabulary to tackle what is going on across these villages.
“That has to change. Something has got to happen.”
Inspector Michael Booker of Cowdenbeath police station said: “We are keen to trace the rider of the off-road bike.
“He is around 13-17 years old, of slim build, and was wearing a blue Adidas tracksuit top and dark blue tracksuit bottoms.
“He was also wearing a blue motorbike helmet with white stripes.
“The bike he was riding was a green off-road bike.
“Anyone with information regarding the identity of the male is asked to contact 101 quoting incident number 3141 of Sunday August 18.”
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