Police gave out lights and advice to cyclists in Scarborough as dark nights draw in

On Monday (October 21), between 6pm and 8pm, Scarborough's Neighbourhood Policing Team ran a project in the town centre as part of Operation Dark Night.On Monday (October 21), between 6pm and 8pm, Scarborough's Neighbourhood Policing Team ran a project in the town centre as part of Operation Dark Night.
On Monday (October 21), between 6pm and 8pm, Scarborough's Neighbourhood Policing Team ran a project in the town centre as part of Operation Dark Night.
Earlier this week Scarborough's Neighbourhood Policing Team ran a project in the town centre as part of Operation Dark Night, focussing on cyclists using the precinct.

Between 6pm and 8pm, officers stopped and engaged with cyclists, who were riding in the prohibited areas of the pedestrian precinct.

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Cyclists were also spoken to about not having lights on their bikes, but instead of receiving fines, they were given a set of lights.

Over the two-hour period, 16 sets of lights were given out and eight cyclists had words of advice given in relation to other offences.

Each year, around 6% of all road deaths involve cyclists on UK roads.

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Town beat PCSO Donna Switzer-Green came up with the project at the start of the year following some near misses between cyclists and pedestrians on footpaths and the precinct.

PCSO Switzer-Green said, "I feel frustrated at the number of cyclists who put themselves at risk on a daily basis. Whenever I speak to people at drop-in events, they always tell me of issues with pedal cycles on the precinct or cycling dangerously on the footpath.

" It can be intimidating for some of our more vulnerable members of the community to be faced with a bike hurtling towards them. This project is aimed at educating cyclists, as many of them I have spoken to claim not to know this information."

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These projects will continue throughout the dark nights. The North Yorkshire Police are appealing to those who they have spoken to, to consider the information given and ensure the lights are fitted to their bikes.