A BBC Radio Cumbria journalist sustained significant injuries after a cycling accident on the bailey bridge in Middleton.

The incident happened after veteran newsman Martin Lewes attempted to cycle across the temporary bridge between Kirkby Lonsdale and Sedbergh on Wednesday February 3.

He has been hospitalised for the past week with a broken nose, facial cuts and bruises and damaged vertebrae.

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Mr Lewes, 60, who lives in Sedbergh, said: "It was the first nice sunny day of the year and I went off for a ride down to Barbon.

"I was coming along towards the bridge so I slowed down for the temporary traffic lights and I was next to another cyclist.

"As you approach the bridge to go up the fairly steep ramp there are flat bits of metal and between those are slots.

"The wheel went into the slot and I went over the handlebars."

After the crash Mr Lewes shouted for assistance from passers-by.

He was helped by the other cyclist, and a motorist gave him a lift to Sedbergh health centre.

"As I was in the car I was feeling worse and worse and when I got to the health centre I was thinking: 'I have done myself some damage.'"

Although the injuries are not permanent, Mr Lewes will have to wear a neck brace for six to eight weeks.

He will be unable to drive or work during that period.

Despite the inconvenience caused by the accident, Mr Lewes does not blame anybody else for what has happened.

"In a sensible world I should have stopped and thought: 'I'll walk over that,'" he said.

"If I hadn't been wearing a helmet I could have been a lot more badly hurt. It hurts quite a lot every now and again but most of the time I've been no more than uncomfortable.

"If I'm doing this for a particular reason its so cyclists do not do what I did and cycle over temporary bridges."

Mr Lewes expects to be home in the next couple of days. Once he has recovered he will return to work as a digital journalist on the live news service of the BBC Cumbria page.