A CYCLIST has said he may never feel part of his face again after a crash with another bike, which he says was caused by a 12ft sign advertising a fun fair.

Keith Hoult was cycling from Witney to Oxford on a path next to the A40 Northern Bypass when he crashed into another cyclist travelling in the opposite direction.

Warning: Graphic image below

He said cyclists can usually see the path ahead for a long way, but a large sign advertising the Witney Feast reduced the normal kink on the road to a blind corner.

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He said: “It really is a case of a ‘wrong place, wrong time’ scenario.

“The more I think about it, the fact that we were both there at that certain point in time makes it almost inevitable.”

Oxford Mail:

Oxfordshire County Council said the sign, which was propped on the verge of the A40 near the Wolvercote Roundabout, was not approved and permission was never sought.

The feast itself is hosted by Witney Town Council, but the fun fair element has been organised for about two decades by one elderly couple.

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The incident happened on September 19 at around 5pm, when 60-year-old film producer Mr Hoult was cycling to Oxford.

He approached the path at about 10mph and ‘before he knew it had landed on his backside’.

Oxford Mail:

He explained: “I was conscious but I don’t remember falling, I just remember standing up and trying to make sense of it.

“I saw there was blood pouring from my face and I was thinking 'what happened and where is the other guy?' I looked over and he was there lying in the bushes so I called an ambulance, told him and he put his thumbs up.”

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He said they were both rushed to hospital after being interviewed by the police in the back of the ambulance.

Mr Hoult said he was in the hospital until 11pm that evening and had 12 stitches in his face.

Oxford Mail:

He said: “I still have zero sensitivity in my upper jaw area.

“I don’t have any bone injury at least, I just still have bruising on my back, and I just hope it gets better and better, but at least now I can brush my teeth.”

He said he was planning to take further action against those who put the sign in place.

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However Oxfordshire County Council said it would not, and that anything more would be considered a civil matter.

The couple who run the fun fair have been contacted for comment.