A KEEN Kendal athlete is lucky to be alive after colliding with a tractor whilst out on his bike.

Billy Procter, 53, suffered severe cuts, bruising and broke a bone in his neck after the incident near the junction of Park Road and Thwaite Flat Road in Barrow, shortly before 10.45am last Saturday.

Mr Procter, who is a keen fell runner and a coach at Helm Hill Athletics Club, does not remember anything about the accident.

“I remember riding along the road from Kendal on my way to visit my son in Barrow and next thing I was in hospital,” he said.

“I’m in a bad way, but having seen a couple of photos there is no doubt that my cycling helmet saved my life. I was very lucky. I don’t even remember seeing a tractor, let alone hitting it. I have some bad cuts and bruises, but I’ll recover and I’m happy to be alive.”

Mr Procter, who is a site manager at Queen Katherine School, cycles every day and regularly goes out for two or three hours on his racing bike.

Following the incident passers-by contacted the emergency services, and police closed off the road for a short time.

“Somehow they got in touch with my son Lee, who told my wife Yvonne and my other son, Ben,” said Mr Procter. “It just shows that sometimes you never know what is coming next and how important the correct safety equipment is, as without my helmet, I believe I would have died.

“The helmet is all smashed up and to be honest I’m as bad as anybody else, I don’t always put my helmet on if I’m just popping to the shops. But I would urge anybody to do so whenever they ride a bike. I certainly will.”

The incident has prompted the Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents (ROSPA) to reiterate the importance of wearing a cycle helmet.

A spokesperson said: “This is an amazing example of how effective a cycle helmet can be in an accident. Whilst it is not law, research does show that helmets do increase the chances of recovery in all types of cycle accidents.

“Whilst they will not stop an accident, they can save lives when one happens.”

A spokesperson for Cumbria Police said: “We were called to the incident shortly before 11am by ambulance crews who reported a cyclist who had suffered serious injuries after colliding with a stationary tractor, driven by a local man aged 20. He was taken to Furness General Hospital. An investigation is ongoing.”

Cumbria Police are appealing for witnesses. Anybody with any information should contact PC Katy Wright at Barrow Police Station on 0845 3300 247.