Cyclist passes footage of London drivers playing Pokemon GO to police

A cyclist has been passing footage of drivers playing Pokemon GO to the Met Police's Traffic Offence Reporting Team.

The road safety campaigner, who wishes to be known only as 'The Legend of Justice' caught one driver on Warwick Road in Westminster on Saturday and another in Trafalgar Square a day later.

The Pokémon GO website says: “For safety’s sake, never play Pokémon GO when you’re on your bike, driving a car, riding a hoverboard, or anything else where you should be paying attention.”

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In the first incident, the cyclist pulls up alongside a black BMW convertible at traffic lights. Footage shot with his helmet cam shows the driver holding a mobile phone which seems to display the Pokémon logo.

The cyclist told the London Evening Standard: "I think the smile on his face gave him away after I mentioned Pokémon.”

The second motorist claimed to have been using sat nav, to which the cyclist said: “It's clearly not as it does not even look like Trafalgar Square. The image has no roundabout shape of Trafalgar Square and the icon is a dead giveaway."

The Legend of Justice claims to have been hit seven times since 2009 and says of the phenomenon:

“I think it's time to clean up the streets. I am no vigilante. I just report as it happens.

"This new craze is more frightening, and a matter of time before we hear of Pokémon-related driving accidents. If I were a cop I would bust all day long. The police should have officers in plain clothes riding around with cameras, there are not enough on the streets I'm afraid."

There have also been reports of cyclists being distracted by the game. A teenager cycling in the middle of the road in Kingsdown was said not to have seen a car because he was playing the game.

The driver involved, Gemma Lovell, told the Kent and Essex Courier:

"I'm not opposed to the game – I've actually played on it myself. I just couldn't believe that the boy was cycling straight for me and didn't even see me or look up until I beeped at him.

"I think parents need to give an extra warning to make sure their children stay safe and aware of their surroundings, especially with the summer holidays coming up."