The professional cyclist victim of the armed motorbike gang in Richmond Park has made an extraordinary offer meet his attackers and pay for the return of his expensive racing bike, it has been revealed.

Alexandar Richardson, 31, who lives in Wimbledon, told The Sunday Times: "I'm a very positive human being and I know what it feels like to be rejected.

"I'm not saying these people are bad people - they need the right environment.

"We are not in a position to judge where they came from or what experience they've had in their life and why that has led them to doing that action.

"This can all be changed, they can become better people.

"I would happily sit down around and have a coffee with these guys and understand why they did it if they feel resentment towards people riding around on a bike.

"I would even buy the bike back off them and pay for them to go somewhere to do something constructive so they can better themselves as people."

Despite his sympathy Mr Richardson was also eager to see justice.

"I'm not just going to roll over on this. They will be prosecuted at the highest level with the best lawyers in London, I promise you. This is organised crime," he said.

The cyclist was left badly bruised and bloodied cuts when he was attacked by four men on motorcycles, armed with a 15-inch machete on Thursday afternoon as he was riding his customised blue Specialized SL7 bike which is worth thousands of pounds.

Mr Richardson also revealed that he had been sent a video, which he has shared with the police, showing the masked gangsters parading the bike on a nearby housing estate in Roehampton.