Crackdown after postie injured

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A POSTMAN suffered serious injuries after he was knocked off his bicycle by a car in a bus lane.

The 50-year-old man, who has not been named, had to be taken to hospital with blood pouring from his ear and a damaged shoulder following the collision next to the Orton Centre at Orton Goldhay.

Police closed the road at the scene, at the junction of Bushfield and Benstead, while ambulance crews attended to the postman.

The accident, which happened last Friday at 9.10am, prompted police in Orton to hold a day of action yesterday, cracking down on motorists using bus lanes and cyclists flouting the rules.

Five drivers were each given a £60 fine and three penalty points for illegally driving in the bus lane and nine cyclists were hit with fines for riding on the footpaths in front of shoppers.

A further seven cars were clamped by the DVLA and seven vehicles reported for being on the road without car tax during the day.

A total of 35 graffiti tags were also identified near the centre and will be now cleaned up.

Sergeant Simon Goldsmith said the police had been surprised at the negative response of some drivers to the crackdown, in light of the postman incident.

He said: “Some of the excuses we had were, “I have been using it for years”, which is not helpful.

“The bus lane problem and cyclist problem is something residents feel strongly about, so we will continue to enforce it where possible.”

Sector Inspector Matt Snow said this was the first time the team had spent a day of action at a busy shopping centre and not a residential street.

Insp Snow, said: “With our panel meeting coming up on April 7, this was a great chance to ask residents and workers what their crime fears are.

“We have been given a raft of suggestions which is crucial as not everyone can make it to the meetings.”

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: “Royal Mail takes the safety of its employees very seriously, particularly our frontline staff.

“The postman is currently off work and hugely appreciative of well-wishes from members of the public.”

A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire Police has confirmed an investigation into the incident is ongoing.