AS SOMEONE who has on two occasions only narrowly avoided being struck by a cyclist riding right through a red light at a pedestrian crossing, I

certainly feel animosity towards cyclists.

For some reason they feel that they can ignore red lights. I am also extremely annoyed that they can ride on Hove promenade without any action being taken against them, regrettably they can also use pavements as though they are cycle lanes, again without any action by the police.

Many cyclists have no knowledge of the Highway Code, I have lost count of the number of cyclists I have seen using the mobile phones to either listen to music or chatting away to friends, completely distracted from concentrating on the road or other traffic.

I feel that cyclists have been given a special status by the authorities which means they no longer need to obey the law and are being given excessive consideration at the expense of other citizens.

With regard to the furore over the removal of the cycle lanes on the Old Shoreham Road, whenever I have driven along that road the most number of cyclists I have seen was two. If there is an increase in cyclists because of the introduction of cycle lanes then their absence from that particular stretch of road is hardly proof.

I know many motorists consider cyclists as at best a nuisance or more likely a blot on the landscape.

I applaud the decision by the Labour councillors to vote they way they did and hope that in future any of the Green Party's ridiculous schemes will be

voted down.

Jeff Stanford

Kingsway

Hove