Recently I was cycling down Gillinggate at Kendal, about to turn left into town. I looked right to check traffic coming through Kirkland and as I did so had a very near miss with a young man cycling at speed along the pavement from town, who zipped across Gillinggate and back on the pavement into Kirkland. How long will it be till there’s a serious injury caused by this type of antisocial and illegal behaviour? Is there anything that can be done about it?

This miscreant didn’t look like a member of the “serious” cycling community, but I have regularly witnessed their misbehaviour, in town, but more often in the countryside, riding fast, giving no warning of approach, trespassing on footpaths and Open Access land.

I’m all for cycling. I enjoy it, and the benefits are obvious. But if its promotion succeeds in making it even more popular then surely there will have to be more self discipline and regulation, compulsory third party insurance for a start; number plates?

S. Pighills

Kendal