Call for action as cycling road deaths rise again

Cycling road deaths have increased (GETTY IMAGES)

The number of cyclists killed or injured on Britain's roads has risen to a six-year high, prompting calls from safety campaigners for more Government action to protect them.

The latest Department for Transport figures show that in the first quarter of this year, 3,730 cyclists were killed or injured compared with 2,961 in the same quarter last year. The number of cyclists who were killed or seriously injured rose from 447 to 610 – an increase of 36 per cent.

The Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust, which publicised the figures, has now asked the Government to consider making cycle helmets compulsory for children.

The calls come after a 25-year-old man was killed in a collision with a bus on Saturday in the Holloway Road in north London.

Initial reports suggested the cyclist had collided with an open car door, before apparently hitting a single-decker bus. A post-mortem examination is expected to take place today.