ALTON'S police chief has declared a zero tolerance policy on cyclists who ride on the pavements along the High Street. And Inspector Tony Tipping has warned that anyone caught doing so by police will be hit with a £30 fine. The no-nonsense approach comes after complaints from shoppers who have had to dodge cyclists, including one pensioner who was verbally abused by a cyclist riding on the pavement. Insp Tipping said: "I'm forever lecturing kids about cycling on pavements. Only the other week I spent 15 minutes arguing with a young man because he was cycling on the pavement. In the end I wrote a letter to his parents. "Clearly if you are partially- sighted it can be a frightening experience being confronted by a cyclist on the pavement. I will be instructing my officers to hand out fixed penalties to anyone who is 18 or over found cycling on the pavements." A pensioner, who did not want to be named, described cyclists riding on pavements as a "menace". "Many times I have had near misses with cyclists and been verbally abused with 'get out of the way'. Pensioners cannot get out of the way so quickly and have been run into and knocked down," the pensioner said. "Families cycle all over the pavements and the other day I did not know where to go to avoid being hit. The mother turned round and said 'what?' as if they had the right to be there. "Last Sunday in Victoria Road there were seven cars parked on the same pavement. If we the pedestrian stood in the road for too long we would be in danger. We have cyclists, cars, skateboarders, wheelie bins and advert boards to cope with, it is a nightmare. What are the pedestrians to do? Where's the rules and regulations and good manners gone?" The pensioner also hit out at police officers who cycle along alleyways. Alton Police have been handed two new fully - quipped mountain bikes to enable officers to have a more personal contact with residents and shop owners while maintaining the advantage of better mobility than that given on foot. They are used by the town's three community beat officers Pc James Drew, Pc Steve West and Pc Geoffrey Cole. The pensioner said: "I am astonished that three police officers condone cycling along alleyways. I thought alleyways were supposed to be paths for pedestrians." Insp Tipping has defended the use of the cycles along alleyways by his officers - and said he had received many positive comments from residents since they hit the streets. But he said: "If somebody is unhappy with where they see officers riding they should contact me and I will look into what they were trying to achieve at the time."
