UPDATED: Deadly weekend on roads for British cyclists

It has been a grim few days for leisure cyclists in the UK after a series of incidents around the country that left three dead and a similar number seriously injured.

In Scotland, a senior police officer died on Friday after being in collision with a car while out riding during his lunch hour. Superintendent Neil McCover, 55 died at the scene when struck by a Mazda car on the notorious B764 Eaglesham Moor road at a location half a mile east of the Whitelee Wind Farm. The accident happened several miles away from Strathclyde Police’s Training and Recruitment Centre at Jackton, where the married father of one was based.

In Essex a cyclist died when struck by a car on the A130 main road at Ford End, Chelmsford at around 9am on Sunday. An 18-year old male was arrested and charged with causing death by dangerous driving before being released on bail until Tuesday.

Also on Sunday an elderly cyclist died at the scene when in collision with a Renault Clio near the White Hart pub in Maidstone Road, Marden, a village about nine miles south of Maidstone.

In Gloucestershire a 52-year old man sustained serious leg injuries after being  struck by a Ford Focus driven by an 82-year-old man, close to a lay-by on the A38 in Moreton Valence.

In County Armagh, Northern Ireland a cyclist was also seriously injured following a collision with a camper van on the Tandragee Road, near Newry at just after 4pm on Sunday

Also on Sunday, a 47-year old woman received serious injuries following an accident at Brooke Shute on the Isle of Wight. Police do not believe any other vehicle was involved. UPDATE: Hampshire police have confirmed that the woman from Brighstone on the Isle of Wight died this morning as a result of her injuries. She is believed to have lost control of her bike having passed over a wet section of road, thought to have been caused by a natural spring. On falling, she hit her head on the road and suffered what proved to be fatal injuries, despite wearing a crash helmet.

Last year 104 cyclists were killed and 2606 seriously injured on Britain’s roads.