A shirtless man filmed practising martial-arts moves in the street was removed from a property in Motherwell after neighbours gathered outside a home on Thursday evening. Police attended the scene shortly after reports of a crowd forming and said the situation was resolved without any arrests.
Footage shows confrontation outside house
Video circulating online shows a barefoot man in shorts standing in the middle of a residential road, performing what onlookers described as karate-style motions while residents shouted for him to leave. The incident took place on Bellshill Road at about 9pm on Thursday, 14 May, according to Police Scotland.
Officers arrived in a marked vehicle and the man was escorted away from the property. Witnesses recorded the encounter and later shared the clip on social media, where viewers mocked the actions and debated the risk posed to the local community.
- Location: Bellshill Road, Motherwell, North Lanarkshire
- Time: Around 9pm, Thursday 14 May
- Police response: Officers attended, the crowd dispersed and a man was removed from the address; no arrests were reported
- Online reaction: Video widely shared and commented on by local residents
His criminal history
The man has a prior conviction for a sexual offence. Court records show he was sentenced in October 2018 at Airdrie Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to an offence dating from 2011 involving a child. He was later given additional time following separate offences in 2017 involving a multi-tool and threats, and remains on the sex offenders’ register.
Those earlier sentences were served concurrently, with the court taking time already spent in custody into account.
Police statement and community impact
Police Scotland said they received a report of people gathering outside a property and that officers attended, the crowd dispersed and a man was removed. The force did not report any arrests.
Residents described feeling alarmed while recording the incident; others used social media to criticise and satirise the footage. The episode has renewed local concern about the presence and monitoring of individuals with previous sexual convictions living in neighbourhoods with families.
The episode underlines ongoing tensions between community members seeking reassurance and the limits of immediate police powers when a person is not formally arrested. Local policing teams say they continue to monitor reports and advise anyone who feels threatened to contact officers promptly.
Takeaways
- Footage of the incident was shared widely online, prompting community debate.
- Police attended and removed the man from the property; no one was held in custody at the scene.
- The individual has a recorded history of sexual offending and remains subject to register requirements.
Police urged anyone with relevant information about the incident to come forward to assist enquiries and to report concerns about public safety through official channels.
Hi, I’m Benjamin, a member of the Sherburne County Citizen team. With a passion for writing and a deep interest in current affairs, I thoroughly enjoy bringing you the latest news and trends that affect our daily lives.
