IT WAS unfortunate to see Andover’s name in bad light as an endurance cyclist was pushed off his bike by a few men while he was crossing our town.

Chris Hall was riding across England, from the east to west – covering 700kms – in an attempt to create awareness about men’s health.

Unfortunately, he had to call off his challenge midway while he was passing through Andover. Chris said he was pushed off his bike as a bunch of men thought it would be funny to do so (page 14).

He added that one of the men ran across to push him off, possibly in an attempt to steal his bike or just to have a laugh at his expense.

The actions of these malicious idiots has now muddied the name of our entire town. It is likely that Chris, his family, and his close friends will now forever remember Andover as a town where he endured a horrible experience.

On behalf of those unpleasant men, we apologise to Chris and hope he comes back in future and has a better experience.

We all know that Andover is not a bad town and we hope a couple of bad apples will not taint our image. We are blessed in Andover as the vast majority of residents are kind and good-hearted. They are generous and support charities, both local and national.

This incident calls for internal reflection for each of us. While most of us wouldn’t dream of knocking someone off of their bike, we need to think about the little, innocuous things we do that might have a bigger impact than we think. It could affect not just us, but our dear ones and even the reputation of our town.

Be mindful and respectful, especially in public places. Let’s be kind to each other.

Although the nasty men’s action has put Andover in a bad spot, our town might soon be known for some very good news in the sporting world.

Hurstbourne Tarrant girl Holly Mills is hoping for a late charge into contention for Team GB’s heptathlon squad for the Tokyo Olympics this summer (page 64). She has been performing really well in the past weeks as she has announced her name in the national circle.

The 21-year-old is a member of Andover Athletics Club. If everything goes well, Andover is all set to have a representative in Tokyo when countries across the world meet for the greatest sporting event.

Good luck, Holly. Make Andover proud.