A man in his 50s from Cricklade has been arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent after a Swindon school teacher was attacked.

Peter James was cycling for charity along the Ashton Keynes Road near Chelworth Lodge Industrial Estate at 2.45pm on Sunday, August 9 when a Mercedes drove past very close to his bike.

Peter, 34, signalled to be given more space and the car stopped and waited for him to catch up.

When he did, a man stepped out, yelled abuse, and punched him off his bike and proceeded to attack him for more than five minutes.

Eventually the thug left, and Peter reported the incident to the police.

The attack has left Peter with a fractured wrist. 

The suspect has since been interviewed and released under investigation while enquiries continue.

Police are now appealing for the driver of a dark-coloured car, possibly black and a Ford people carrier, who could potentially be a witness to come forward. 

Officers believe the car was heading towards Ashton Keynes.

PC Jonathan Kilburn said: “This was a serious incident and the cyclist required hospital treatment for his injuries.

"I am really keen to speak to the driver of this vehicle as they may have information which could assist our enquiries.

"Additionally, if you think this may have been you but you do not believe you have any further information, please do let us know so we can eliminate this line of enquiry. 

“Cyclists are vulnerable road users but it is vital that we are all considerate when using the road space – keep your distance when overtaking and be mindful of oncoming traffic when doing so.

"We all have a responsibility to keep each other safe when using the roads.”