Cycling charity chief is knocked off bike by van

The head of the charity responsible for the Britain's National Cycle Network is recovering in hospital after being knocked off his bike by a van.

Malcolm Shepherd, the chief executive of Sustrans, suffered a smashed knee, cracked skull and a broken hand, according to reports, and is unlikely to be back at work for two months.

The accident is the latest to take place on Britain's roads. The Independent's Save our Cyclists campaign, launched last week, aims to cut the 230 deaths or serious injuries sustained by cyclists every month in Britain. A spate of deaths in London this year has prompted demands from campaigners for the better education of lorry and bus drivers, as well as cyclists themselves.

Last year, 3.1 billion miles were cycled in the UK – a 4 per cent annual increase – while cycling in the capital has increased by 91 per cent since 2000. Sustrans's flagship project is the National Cycle Network, which has created over 10,000 miles of signed cycle routes throughout the UK.