A SPIKE in the number of cyclists injured on the borough’s roads is being laid at the door of both motorists and Redbridge Council.

Sixty cyclists were hurt while biking in the borough last year, new Transport for London (TfL) figures reveal - 18 more than in 2010.

Gill James of Clavering Road in Aldersbrook sits on the council's Cycling Liaison Group (CLG).

She said: "In my experience by far the majority of accidents are caused by drivers.

"We need a change in attitudes.

“It’s about watching out for cyclists coming out of turnings or at roundabouts. We’d also like to see more 20 mph zones, and fewer people parking in cycling lanes.

Fellow CLG member Chris Elliott said there had been a ‘lack of willingness’ to spend cash to tackle the borough’s difficult junctions, where many incidents take place.

He said: “Something like Ilford town centre gyratory is a real barrier for inexperienced and untrained cyclists.”

Experienced cyclist Sylvia Skacelova, 40, who bikes from her home in Epping to work at the Biketrax bike shop in Cambridge Park, Wanstead, said she feared being injured ‘nearly every day’.

“There are lanes for cycling, but it’s so horrible,” she added.

“There are branches, there is mess on the lanes, bushes are in your way, and the drain covers aren’t level.

Cllr Paul Canal said the council takes all incidents seriously, but added: “One of the reasons we have had an increase is that there are more cyclists.

“Bizarrely, it’s proportionately better than it was.

“We recognise that there is sometimes a conflict between car and bike, but we are working to educate people.”