Cyclist spends night in cells for riding in no-bike zone

I have been stopped for riding a bicycle on the Heath, by police taking up the entire path with their squad car.

I had entered the Heath by a route which gave no indication of the 'No Cycling' rule. The police put the lack of signs down to "vandalism". Perhaps they should be dealing with the vandals?

They haven't caught the psychopath who attacked that family with a knife on Hampstead Heath recently, neither have they arrested the rapist (at least two attacks in the past year, assuming its the work of the same person)...

BUT they got the guy who cycled in the wrong place! Go go gadget policemen! Your bravery, integrity and tireless work for the community at large allows me to sleep easy at night. Bet you all had a few beers to pat yourselves on the back for that one eh?

Hurry now - probably still got time to kettle a few protesters and murderously assault a few innocents before closing time.

Unfortunately it often takes some brave people to break rules in order to bring the stupidity of the rule to the attention of the fools that create them.

We have a very over grown path across our local common. I have passed both cyclists and pedestrians using it with no problem, we all politely give way to each other often stopping for a chat with those we are passing. It's all very civilised.

On entering the common only last week, I noticed for the first time a "No Cycling" sign.

Why now after all these many years, in a time that we are meant to be encouraging more to cycle, has this common now become a no cycling zone?

This will not stop local cyclists using this path as they have always done. It will however start to cause aggression towards cyclists from pedestrians where previously there was a comradery between all those out enjoying the countryside.

Interestingly, to put this in perspective - he got the same fine/punishment as a local HGV driver who pulled out and over a Southampton cyclist some 7 years back. The cyclist there died.

I think we need to have a bit of a dig into this, are the Camden Cycling Campaign wrong? Or is there a number of other factors that lead this man to ride where he shouldn't?

Looking at some of the local off-road routes in my home town I can sometimes see gangs of teens/lads loitering around in the evenings. Other routes end and force you back into the road - a road that although 40mph tends to suffer from some atrocious speeding. Some routes are even poorly signposted.

If this is not the case then yes, he deserves punishment. If these are factors that scare local cyclists on to other routes then a workable solution needs to be brought about.

But £330 for not giving details to an officer does seem quite steep.

Yep, stupid bit of policework. I remember taking a short cut years ago across the no-cycling bit of Hyde Park rather than go the long way round the cycle path. I was following another cyclist on a road bike. Two cops popped out and shouted at us and told us to get off the bikes and walk. There was no-one else around so it was pointless. That same week I rode my motorbike up Park Lane and 45mph in the middle lane while being overtaken on the inside and outside lanes by other vehicles going faster. I admit I was speeding in a 30mph limit (I was young), and the others were speeding even more, and no-one gave a toss.

The police do have to be very careful with these utterly pointless acts of petty bureaucacy. It helps no-one, and themselves included.

It doesn't really help the cause when cycling campaigners offer excuses for clear violations. If the park regulations are unreasonable, efforts should go into persuading authorities to change them.

He was arrested as he failed to give any details. If he had, they wouldn't have arrested him, they would have given him a ticket.

Thousands of illegal immigrants, many out and out criminals yet can't be deported, prosecutions a waste of police time, now then, a cyclist riding his bike in a no cycling area is a different matter all together.

Agree with the comment in the article from CCC - the Heath needs to do something about allowing cyclists in the park. As do some of the pavements in the royal parks.

But was he detained for failing to co operate with the police or the cycling. Maybe if he'd given his name he could have spent the night at home? He could then surely have appealed against any fine?