Derbyshire cyclist chanced M1 as a 'shortcut'

A Derbyshire cyclist who was stopped on the M1 told police he had decided to chance the road as a ‘shortcut’.

Apparently referring to an incident the previous night, Derbyshire Roads Policing unit tweeted that the cyclist knew full well he wasn't permitted on the motorway, but, “decided to chance it as it's a 'shortcut'.”

The force said the cyclist’s actions had “caused resources to be diverted from other tasks,” including a van from the Erewash Response Unit which had been sent to pick up his bike.

The accompanying images show digital signage above the motorway warning motorists of a cyclist in the road.

In 2018, South Yorkshire Police were called to escort a cyclist off the M1 in Sheffield. The cyclist in question had reportedly been, “en route to London.”

There were also a number of reports of cyclists on motorways during the lockdown period. At the end of March, a cyclist caught riding on the M60 was told by police, “This does not constitute your daily exercise.”

We’ve since reported on a cyclist who strayed onto the M58 motorway in Lancashire due to a sat-nav error, who was fined after a van driver crashed while trying to avoid him; and also a group of four cyclists who found their way onto the M53 in Cheshire.