Sir – This morning my father, who is 79, was almost barged off his bike on a cycle track through the Oakalls on his morning journey to the newsagent to fetch his paper.
Owing to the hostile behaviour of certain pedestrians, he now has to time his journey perfectly, setting out at precisely 0855 and returning at 0905, in order to avoid parents and their children on their way to school.
In his experience, these individuals take up the entire footpath, including the designated cycle track, and give no quarter to him or to any other cyclists who wish (quite legitimately), to use the cycle path.
This morning, on ringing his bell to warn them of his approach, they ignored him and, when he was forced to brake sharply as they refused to move from the path, they abused him and shouted at him and told him he had no right to be riding a bike where there were young children on their way to school. One adult man tried to nudge him from his bike.
My father returned to his home in the Oakalls extremely shaken and is now fretting about performing this simple daily errand.
He enjoyed being able to cycle to the shop and collect his newspaper and now his right to use the cycle track unimpeded has been denied him by ignorant, selfish people, who think that they and their children take precedence over anyone else in their vicinity.
He has since contacted the police and explained the situation, and they have promised to send a community liaison officer to monitor the situation.
They have also assured my father that he has every right to use the cycle path whenever he wants to and that he is doing nothing wrong, despite the adverse reaction of ignorant adults who should know better.
I would be grateful if you would publish this letter in the hope of raising awareness about this issue. Maybe it will make one or two of these people think before they abuse and frighten an elderly man who is merely trying to preserve his physical fitness and independence in a perfectly rightful way.
Marion Astill , Redditch