Cyclist rows with police over detour

A MAN crossing the Humber Bridge on a bicycle claims cyclists face pedalling across the busy dual carriageway if they want to cross.

The Humber Bridge Board closed footways on both sides of the bridge at the weekend after a number of deaths at the bridge in March, including the tragic death of Alex Walker on March 25 and a teenage girl just three days later. Pedestrians and cyclists had been asked to avoid the bridge – with cones laid out blocking access for an “indefinite period”. However, one cyclist claims that this decision has created another problem for those who use bikes to commute to work after he says he was forced to use the dual carriageway to cross the bridge. Long-distance cyclist Richard Lake had made plans to cross the bridge over the bank holiday weekend but when he sought guidance from Humberside Police and the Humber Bridge Board he claimed “no-one knew what was going on”.

Mr Lake cycled up to the Humber Bridge on Easter Sunday and says he was told by security that he had to use the main carriageway to cross. On his Youtube channel, Mr Lake said: “I showed up ready to ride across and at the ramp I was greeted by someone from security who said if you want to cross they expect you to use the main carriageway. “Hopping over the barrier a little further up – I did just that. Halfway across the bridge a private security van caught up with me and by the end I reached the other side where I was being bothered by traffic police.

“They told me I should not have crossed, so naturally I explained how I came to cross over and then proceeded to ask what about people who use bikes to commute to work? What is the Humber Bridge Board doing to secure their safety?”

The Humber Bridge Board were contacted for comment.