Cyclists urged to see the light

8:41pm Sunday 16th November 2008

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Police in North Oxford have stopped 201 cyclists for not having lights, or riding on pavements, since July in a crackdown on dangerous riding.

On Friday night, officers set up an operation on Banbury and Woodstock roads and issued 28 cyclists with £30 fines.

Their get-tough approach comes after cyclists failed to heed earlier softer warnings from police.

Those caught without lights have been offered the chance to avoid the fine by buying a set of lights and producing the receipt to police within a week.

The purge follows a sting in Oxford High Street last month where a cyclist was caught riding without lights almost every two minutes.

During that operation — the first this winter — police dished out 83 fines to cyclists in an hour-and-a-half.

Excuses for cycling in the dark included having had lights stolen, leaving them at home and claiming there were enough street lights for cyclists to be seen by other road users.

Sgt Emma Garside said: “Issues involving cycling are the number one priority for the Summertown neighbourhood — and that covers everything from cycling on the pavement to cycling without lights, going through red traffic lights and the inconsiderate use of bicycles.

“In this area there are a lot of cyclists and the problems have been bad for a long time.

“We have been issuing verbal warnings and still people aren’t taking notice, so it was felt stronger enforcement was needed.”

Officers also stopped people whose batteries had run out, and several who had recently had their bike lights stolen. Most of them were warned and told to walk, rather than ride.

André Mazur, 16, from Old Marston, was stopped on Banbury Road after cycling on the pavement.

He said: “I will be more careful in future.”

Sgt Garside said operations would continue.