A Twitter user, who wishes to remain anonymous, spotted the decorator’s van with the bizarre modification in Cheadle, Greater Manchester on Monday.
Images show dozens of sharp black spikes attached onto the left hand wing mirror of the black van which was spotted parked up at the side of the road.
It appears to be wrapped in black tape, with dozens of small, sharp spikes attached and facing outward.
Social media users suggested that the modification may be aimed at cyclists due to the spikes only being attached to the passenger side wing mirror.
However, the owner of the van, today said he installed the spiked caps to deter “little b******s” who have been ripping his wing mirror off.
Images of the van were posted onto Twitter on Monday, captioned: “Seems to be a growing trend in my area of adding crude spikes to the passenger side wing mirror, usually in the form of large screws through the mirror casing.
He added: “Revisited and here’s what it looks like. A crude repair? Strange that I’ve seen two other vehicles with this ‘repair’ in my area recently.
“Disguised as a repair. in the realms of conspiracy now. What do you think?”
The tweet has gained over 100 retweets and dozens of comments from shocked social media users.
@kebablog said: “I just wonder if it keeps getting broken whilst parked, so the design is to damage whatever hits it rather than any anti pedestrian or cyclist thing.
“Still very dodgy and should be reported.”
@pedalmania then replied to this saying: “I wondered about this, but if so you wouldn’t do it on just the passenger side.”
@keith_runs said: “Wtf, why would someone do this?”
@CrippledCyclist added: “That’s a weapon, and it’s 100% intended to be so.
“Report it to the police, and if they don’t take it seriously, smash the thing off when you’re passing it parked up.”
@BowlerHatMan75 wrote: “Are they doing this to hurt motorcyclists that attempt to break mirrors during a road rage incident?”
@gazza_d said: “Report it. That is insanely dangerous and looks deliberate.”
@champson added: “That needs a custodial sentence.”
@digitalfailure responded: “I’d imagine the insurance being invalidated as well as it being an undeclared modification.
“Whoever has done that is unhinged”
The cyclist who captured the images, today said: “I originally spotted it on Sunday whilst on a walk but passed by again on Monday and took a photo then.
“I shared it on Twitter in order to get people’s opinions on what exactly the modification is for.
“Most are saying it couldn’t be intended for anything else but cyclists. We can never know for sure but that would be my guess.
“Even if the intentions are not there it’s still been perceived as an acceptable modification – I’ve already spotted these on two other vehicles last week.
“I was disappointed that my local police didn’t respond but Surrey Road Cops offered up and said it’s a lethal weapon.
“After gathering opinions on Twitter I decided to report it to 101.
“At first I wasn’t sure what I was reporting but ended up reporting it as an illegal modification to a vehicle. but somehow that didn’t seem to cover it.
“I spoke to a skeptical call handler who said ‘she would pass it on’.
Speaking today, owner of the van Jonathan Tomney, 41, said: “I’m sick to death of my property being vandalised.
“Every Saturday night when I park the van up somewhere I put the spikes on.
“I only put it on over the weekends to stop my property from being vandalised.”
“I just hope that if one of the little b******s tries to take my wing mirror again they’ll sever their hand.”
