31 October 2023 , 15:59
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A toddler lost his finger after getting it caught in the chain of an electric bike abandoned on the street in London.
One-year-old Leopoldo has had his right index finger amputated following the incident in August. The boy's mum had taken him and his sister to meet their father on New Bond Street in Westminster and when Leopoldo was let out of the pram for a short while, he got his finger trapped in the chain of a Tier rental bike.
The boy then inadvertently put pressure on the bike's pedal, causing the chain and gears to move - and his finger was almost completely severed. His mum managed to break the chain with a pair of scissors and release his finger.
Leopoldo was then taken to the hospital where he received an emergency operation to reattach it. However, after several weekly check-ups, doctors decided they would amputate the majority of the finger.
The boy's dad, Ignacio, is now calling on authorities and bike rental companies to ensure they introduce policies for bikes to be left in designated spots, and not in the street. He told The Telegraph: "This is ultimately the responsibility of Tier to make sure this does not happen.
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"It is absolutely terrible what has happened to our family and the message we are trying to get out there is, guys, it shouldn’t be like this. Unfortunately, my son has lost his finger, and it is heartbreaking to see him like that. Due to the carelessness of Tier, his life will be changed forever, physically and emotionally."
Ignacio said his wife Pillar has been struggling in the aftermath of the incident and has anxiety about doing activities with her children. The dad also asked the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to regulate the parking of rental bikes, but his office said it does not currently have this power.
Tier reportedly said it never received a report of a similar incident despite operating its hire scheme in 400 cities over five years. However, Nickie Aiken, the Conservative MP for the Cities of London and Westminster, said she regularly receives emails from residents about rental bikes found on pavements.
She said a 16-year-old visually impaired boy contacted her to say that bikes left on pavements are one of the biggest dangers for him, and that they affect his freedom. The MP said: "They are accidents waiting to happen, and clearly we have now had a very serious accident."
Tier said it had been in contact with the family and the case is being looked after by their insurer. The company added it signed a contract with Westminster Council last week that will see Tier and other operators investing in parking bays in central London. A spokesperson said: "TIER prides itself on providing a valuable service in a safe and responsible way. The team was devastated to learn of the tragic incident and has been in contact with the parents during this difficult period.
"The case remains subject to an ongoing process with our insurer, who are working with us to resolve the situation quickly and fairly. In the meantime, we wish the family strength as they await the outcome. On the issue of parking e-bikes in Westminster, we signed a contract this month with the Council which sees TIER and other operators investing in parking bays around central London where all trips now have to start and end. We have also signed a similar agreement with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and we are ready to support other boroughs who are moving to implement mandatory parking bays."