Police are appealing for witnesses after a cyclist was knocked off his bike by a car on Scarborough Road, Filey near East Lea Farm. The car failed to stop and drove off leaving the cyclist injured in the road.

The cyclist was a man in his 60s, he remains in hospital where he is being treated for concussion and shock. A spokesperson for the police said: “The cyclist was knocked from his bike and suffered a head injury. Officers are appealing for the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident. In particular, we ask that the driver of the vehicle comes forward and anyone who can help officers in locating the driver.”

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC James Moody.

There is a path alongside the road, but it is often overgrown and is almost unusable for pedestrians and cyclists. The road is heavily used during the summer season and it has raised fears about safety for pedestrians and cyclists travelling between Filey, Gristhorpe and the various holiday parks along the road. Even the relatively recently improved A165 has poor provision for pedestrians and cyclists, with overgrown paths alongside the very fast road.

North Yorkshire Police picture of the incident on the Scarborough Road

Elsewhere in Filey, the Muston Road has a cycle lane, which is used by children coming to and from the school, but there are regularly cars parked in the lane, which means children either have to ride on the road, or, more likely, on the path. Similarly, there is a small cycle lane on Clarence Avenue to serve the infant school, but once again there are always cars parked on it. Given that the town, away from the seafront, is relatively flat and compact, it should be a great place to cycle, as it was during the first lockdown last year. It was great to see families cycling together, but as normality returned, so did the traffic and the cyclists have seemingly been frightened away. A lost opportunity.