A CRACKDOWN on cyclists in Oxford by police during the winter forced almost 300 people to go out and buy bike lights.

All 273 people who were fined for cycling without lights had their £30 fines rescinded after buying a set of lights and handing the receipt in at their local police station Officers extended their month-long campaign targeting cyclists without lights to run from October last year until the end of March.

During the five months — or over British Winter Time — police handed out 273 fines which were then rescinded when the cyclist bought new lights.

No one was fined, because they all purchased new lights.

Although police did not net as many cyclists using their bikes illegally as they would have liked, the operation was deemed so successful that police now plan to run the scheme every winter.

Road safety officer Pc Mark Pilling said: “Bearing in mind we ran this for the whole of the winter, it is not a great deal of cyclists caught. It’s impossible to stop everyone you see without lights because often a crew would be on their way to an emergency like a fight or a burglary and it wouldn’t be sensible to stop and hand out a fine.

“But it is what I’d expect for the amount of time we ran the scheme. The intention will be to run the scheme again when the clocks go back.”

Initially the offer was expected to last just one month, but it was extended after backing from officers and neighbourhood action teams.

Tickets were issued mainly in Summertown, East Oxford and the city centre. Pc Pilling added: “Obviously cycling with lights is a legal requirement.

“But it also makes cyclists visible to motorists and pedestrians.

“A lot of cyclists may think they can see where they are going but sometimes they can’t be seen.

“Some will be tearing down the High Street and anyone could step out into their path if they cannot be seen. It is for everyone’s safety — not just the cyclist.”

James Styring, of Oxford cycle pressure group Cyclox, said: “The main reason a minority of cyclists jump lights, cycle on pavements or go out when their batteries are flat is because they know they can get away with it 90 per cent of the time because police have more important things to concentrate on.

“But the scheme is a good idea.

“It is educational rather than punitive. It’s not about making money or lives a misery.

“All these people now have lights, so it makes the roads safer for everyone.”

When police launched the crackdown in October last year they spotted 83 cyclists without lights in Oxford city centre in just under three hours.

mwilkinson@oxfordmail.co.uk