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Cycle disaster law change debate Cycle deaths to be raised with PM
(about 2 hours later)
An MP wants changes to the law to protect cyclists after four were killed in what a coroner described as "Britain's worst cycling disaster". An MP who wants better protection for cyclists after four were killed when a car skidded on ice will raise the issue with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Thomas Harland, 14, Maurice Broadbent, 61, Dave Horrocks, 55, and Wayne Wilkes, 42, died on a practice ride near Abergele, Conwy, in January 2006. The group died on a practice ride near Abergele, Conwy, in January 2006.
Vale of Clwyd MP Chris Ruane led a debate in Westminster Hall at the House of Commons later. At PM's questions on Wednesday, Vale of Clwyd MP Chris Ruane will ask how to ensure a review of how police call centres handle ice-related incidents.
The Rhyl Cycling Club members died when a car skidded on ice near Abergele. He has also led a Commons debate, where a minister agreed to meet the cyclists' relatives once inquiries are complete.
The road had not been gritted, despite warnings about icy conditions in the area. Mr Ruane is campaigning for action after the deaths of Rhyl Cycling Club members Thomas Harland, 14, Maurice Broadbent, 61, Dave Horrocks, 55, and Wayne Wilkes, 42.
Mr Harland, who was also on the ride and suffered a broken leg, has spoken to Mr Ruane in advance of the Commons debate, and both agreed the issues the MP would raise. At their inquest, the coroner described it as "Britain's worst cycling disaster".
The road had not been gritted, despite warnings about icy conditions in the area and Mr Ruane wants to see principal roads gritted and closed until passable in icy weather.
At the half-hour debate at Westminster Hall with Home Office minister Vernon Coaker on Tuesday, Mr Ruane raised issues about police control room protocols.
I think the lessons learnt here on the protocols between local authorities could be spread around the whole of the UK Chris Ruane MPI think the lessons learnt here on the protocols between local authorities could be spread around the whole of the UK Chris Ruane MP
He and the MP want to see principal roads gritted and closed until passable in icy weather. "If officers on the ground see ice on the road, do they know what is to be done?" he said.
Mr Ruane, who has told North Wales Police Authority of his intention to raise the debate in the Commons, said he questioned procedures and protocols. "Also, once it has been reported by officers or members of the public, what is the procedure within the police control room for relaying that information about potential ice hazards... to local authorities?"
"If you have a look on that morning, there were four accidents, three of them involved police officers," he said. Thomas Harland's father Jonathan, who was also on the ride and suffered a broken leg, had spoken to Mr Ruane prior to the Commons debate.
"Were they reported properly to the control room? Did the control room act properly on the report of those accidents?" He wanted to ask whether the police will take reports of accidents involving ice as seriously as oil spills, and this point was put to Mr Coaker.
Mr Ruane said he would be calling for icy roads to be dealt with in the same manner as an oil spill. "(With oil spills) police are immediately involved, they may block the road off, they wait for the emergency services" said Mr Ruane.
"If an oil spillage had occurred, the road would be cordoned off: this would be standard procedure," he said. At the debate, Mr Coaker highlighted the fact that an Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation was underway as well as internal inquiries by North Wales Police and Conwy Council.
Mr Ruane said he also intended to focus on communication failures over road gritting, highlighting the fact that the accident occurred on a stretch of road split by the Denbighshire-Conwy county border. Mr Ruane said afterwards: "His [Mr Coaker's] response was cautious because the IPCC is still reporting, legal matters are still to sort out.
During the inquest last month, the jury heard the route was not gritted by Conwy Council on the morning of the bike ride, despite frost having been forecast. "He said he will listen carefully to the what the IPCC have got to say... what the internal reports were going to say and he was prepared to meet with me and the relatives in September."
'No protocol''No protocol'
He will also press for steps to be taken to make the local authorities' gritting departments work together.
The 18-month delay in the conclusion of the coroner's inquest and why the Crown Prosecution Service did not take action against the driver involved are other points he hopes to include.
During the inquest last month, the jury heard the route was not gritted by Conwy Council on the morning of the bike ride, despite frost having been forecast.
The jury decided there was a "serious lack of communication" between police and local authorities and that the vehicle which hit the cyclists was being driven in an inappropriate manner.The jury decided there was a "serious lack of communication" between police and local authorities and that the vehicle which hit the cyclists was being driven in an inappropriate manner.
"The Denbighshire side was gritted early in the morning, and then [the lorry] turned back into Denbighshire instead of going the whole length because there was no protocol in place," said Mr Ruane."The Denbighshire side was gritted early in the morning, and then [the lorry] turned back into Denbighshire instead of going the whole length because there was no protocol in place," said Mr Ruane.
"I think the lessons learnt here on the protocols between local authorities could be spread around the whole of the UK. "But it is especially important in Wales where we have 22 small local authorities and thousands of miles of border roads." "I think the lessons learnt here on the protocols between local authorities could be spread around the whole of the UK."
Mr Ruane said the case had brought up questions for the police, local authorities and the judiciary, and also asked why the driver had not been prosecuted.