A judge told the City of London Corporation to drop legal action against a cyclist who spent the night in police cells after being caught cycling in a no-cycle zone on Hampstead Heath.
The cyclist, who did not give his name or address at any point during the incident, was stopped on the Heath by officers just before 8pm on August 9.
He was thought to have broken Byelaw 13, a rule in place since 1933 which forbids using a bike, as well as other vehicles, in a sign-posted no-cycle zone.
When he refused to give his details so that he could be issued with a formal warning, he was taken to Kentish Town Police Station to spend the night.
The next morning he was brought before a magistrate at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court in Islington, but refused to enter the courtroom, instead shouting from behind the door. Eventually he was handcuffed and brought into the dock.
District Judge Robin McPhee said that a night in the cells was punishment enough, and invited the City of London Corporation, which manages the Heath, to withdraw the legal action.
Richard Gentry, the City of London Corporation’s constabulary manager, told London24 after the court hearing: “There are very clear areas on the Heath where cycling is permitted and where it is not.
“Those who flout these rules endanger the safety of other Heath users and we will continue to take legal proceedings against them.”
Jean Dollimore, spokeswoman for Camden Cycling Campaign, told the New Camden Journal it was “extreme” to arrest a cyclist using an empty path when “there are not nearly enough cycle paths on the Heath”.
She added: “I imagine this man wasn’t trying to be a rogue cyclist, he just thought it was 8pm, no one was around, and it was safe to do so.
“There is no way to cycle all the way across the Heath on a network of paths without having to get off and walk some of the way, and that needs to change.”
Eddison Joseph, a 50-year-old who was fined £330 for cycling in a no-cycle zone last year, said that he had been made to look like a “hooligan who runs down old ladies”.
He said: “I know it was probably a bit stupid but to say that it is dangerous is ridiculous. I often get off my bike to pass old ladies and I have a lot respect for the environment."
It does have a look of a UKIP conference about it
I've heard of a phtase like that 'flash for cash' I think it is, where naughty drivers try to tempt people into accident situations to claim...
I can't make sense of that - the app is totally anonymous, so no amount of staff is going to help tracing people through the app. Neither would...
Canyon had already pushed up UK prices on newly released models end of 2020. The new ultegra di2 speedmax CF for example, was listed at £5999. Has...
If you're a cyclist who likes astromony....
I hope so as I love Thai food. I'm not sure the coconut palms will survive our climate though.
[/quote]...
Again, this proves what I have found out about the anti-cyclists over the last 63 years - they are stupid people who make up facts.
My LBS is a Giant dealer, and their view is that stock of popular bikes in the common sizes s going to be patchy for most brands until late summer,...
Of course it's a problem with the road, fool.