Abstract: A straddling dowel for securing a threadable element such as a bolt or a screw, comprises a substantially cylindrical body of a plastic material. The body includes a tubular neck portion and an expanding wedge portion which is held outwardly from the neck portion by a plurality of longitudinally extending bending straps connected between the neck portion and the expanding wedge portion. A straddling leg is disposed between adjacent bending straps and extends longitudinally between the neck portion and the wedge portion and it is provided with a wedging surface which faces a similar wedging surface of the wedge portion.