10 JULY 2004, Page 27

Cycles of danger

From Jules Lubbock Sir: Mary Wakefield (Diary, 3 July) raises the question of whether pedestrians are ever injured by cyclists. Here are two examples. A friend was hit by a cyclist on a pavement in Camden Town. Apprehended by a policeman, the cyclist swore at him and asked what he had done wrong. When this was explained he swore again at the policeman. He was arrested, still swearing. My friend's injuries necessitated a kneejoint replacement. On another occasion I was crossing a pedestrian crossing with my five-year-old son when a cyclist raced downhill without stopping, missing the child by about two feet. He could have been killed. The cyclist did not stop to apologise. The truth is that all of us — motorists, cyclists and pedestrians — should obey both the letter and the spirit of the law. I also contend that cyclists should pass a riding test and that bikes should carry licence plates.

Jules Lubbock

London NW3