Crime, Ringwood | Posted on July 28th, 2026 | return to news

Knife threat on Castleman Trail

A West Moors man who was threatened to be stabbed while cycling was left disappointed and frustrated with Dorset Police's response.

On 27 May, during the school half-term, 72-year-old Chris Covey was riding his bike from West Moors to Ringwood along the Castleman Trail. Past Hurn Lane, where two iron bridges cross the River Avon, Covey encountered two youths blocking the path.

Covey said the teenagers were around 16 years old, around 5ft 10in to 6ft tall, wearing hoodies and swimming shorts.

He rang his bell and asked for space to pass, which was refused, forcing him to squeeze past through the bushes, resulting in a scratch to his arm. Covey says the boys swore at him, which led to a verbal argument. One of the boys then said: “I’ll push you off your bike and I’ll wet you.”

Later that day, Covey spoke to his daughter, a former police officer, who told him that ‘wet’ was slang for stabbing someone.

How did Covey feel about the threat? “I used to box as a kid. I can look after myself. [But] you never know these days. At 72, I’m not as fit and sprightly as I used to be.”

He reported the incident to Dorset Police and filled in a form, then heard nothing.

Two weeks later, he made a complaint. On 12 June, Dorset Police said it apologised for the poor response and that an inspector would contact him in the next few days.

Covey says nobody contacted him.

On 22 July, Dorset Police emailed Covey to say there were no further lines of enquiry to investigate, and the crime was now closed.

The incident has undermined Covey’s confidence in the police. He said: “I’ve had no real response from the police. I’ll never report anything else.

“Would I ring the police again? No.

“There’s not one policeman comes down my road. Four years I’ve been here, I’ve never seen a police car ever, or a bobby on the beat. Even if it was just once a month [it would feel safer].”

Since the incident, Covey hasn’t ridden the route. He refuses to use the trail until he knows it is safe.
“Something needs to be done. You can’t just walk around and threaten people. It’s horrid.

“They threaten people like me, and nothing ever happens to them. They think ‘oh well’ and do it again. And next time it gets worse.”

Dorset Police declined to comment, as the complaint is still being looked into.

Do you recognise the description of the youths? Have you encountered issues on the Castleman Trail? Email news@dorsetview.co.uk.