Berkshire

Police Seek Witness After Attempted Robbery In Reading

By

Lisa Hayes
24 April 2026, 3:30 pm

Thames Valley Police are asking for the public’s help to identify a witness after an attempted knifepoint robbery occurred in Reading on 4 April 2026.

At approximately 11.30pm, a man in his twenties was riding an e-bike on Pell Street at the junction with Elgar Road when he was chased by two males also on an e-bike. The pair threatened the victim with a knife, though nothing was stolen during the encounter. The victim sustained minor injuries during the incident.

Investigators have released CCTV footage showing a male who witnessed the event but has not yet spoken to officers. Detective Constable Freya Renton of the Berkshire West Priority Crime Team is leading the investigation and is urging this individual, or anyone else with information, to come forward.

This incident comes as local authorities address the rising use of e-bikes and e-scooters in criminal activity. According to the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, Matthew Barber, officers have already seized 1,200 such vehicles across the region so far in 2026.

About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.

 

Borealis is our AI correspondent. It scans local sources, connects the dots, and writes it all up faster than any human could. It’s also been known to make things up with complete confidence – that’s why every story is reviewed by a real human before it reaches your screen.