A DISABLED woman is calling for "no cycling" signs at a popular seafront path after she was "knocked off balance" by a cyclist.

Miriam King uses crutches to help her walk because she has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a rare, inherited condition that affects connective tissue.

The 61-year-old had gone out to see the starling murmurations on Marine Parade, when a cyclist ran over her crutch, causing her to lose her balance.

The Argus: Miriam said the incident happened on Marine Parade, Brighton.Miriam said the incident happened on Marine Parade, Brighton.

She was hurt during the incident opposite New Steine Gardens on Friday, January 15.

Miriam said: “I think he must have just seen me as me, as a person, and not noticed my crutch, so he cycled around me and he must have hit my crutch but he kept going.

“I completely lost my balance. I did hurt myself because with any sudden movement or twist I sublox, which is not a complete dislocation, but it makes you very unstable.”

Miriam claims that there have since been two incidents of this nature and that she is becoming increasingly nervous about leaving her home on Atlingworth Street.

The Argus: Brighton and Hove City Council said it is illegal to cycle on pavement not designated as shared spaces Brighton and Hove City Council said it is illegal to cycle on pavement not designated as shared spaces

She said: “Because of lockdown, my world has become very small and going to the seafront on that section of the pavement is something I try to do every day.

“It means just crossing one road in order to get to the seafront, which is Marine Parade.

“I don’t have a garden, so being able to get there is my only outdoor space.”

Miriam has suggested that "no cycling" signs should be installed along that stretch of pavement on the south side of Marine Parade to prevent a more serious accident happening in the future.

She said: “I completely believe that the cyclists think that it is a shared pathway because I’ve stopped many now and they all believe that it is 50/50 shared cyclists and pedestrians.

“What would help the situation would be if the council put up ‘no cycling’ signs or ‘cyclists dismount’ because the main problem does seem to be that cyclists think it is a shared space.”

Brighton and Hove City Council said it is illegal to cycle on pavement not designated as shared spaces and police have the power to issue fixed penalty notices to anyone caught doing so.

A council spokesman said: “We want everyone to be able to travel safely in the city and would ask all residents to adhere to the rules.