Sir – Of course better provision must be made to ensure the safety of Oxford’s cyclists. But pavement cycling where there is no marked cycle path is inconsiderate, dangerous, and illegal and for every cautious and courteous pavement cyclist such as Julian Dare (Letters, November 19) there are dozens who make no concession whatsoever to the presence of pedestrians, cycling at speed and recklessly.

Cyclists should try to imagine themselves in the shoes of elderly and frail people who cannot keep glancing over their shoulder to see if a cycle is silently bearing down on them. Blind and deaf people, young children who don’t walk in a straight line, and babies being carried in slings are also especially at risk. Earlier today, my ten-month-old baby son and I were nearly knocked down from behind by a pavement cyclist on Banbury Road, just the latest incident of many where we have escaped serious injury by a whisker.

I think the police should enforce the law by fining all pavement cyclists instead of merely warning them, a strategy that obviously has not worked as there are still hundreds of people cycling on the city's pavements every day.

They cannot fine under-18s or people who are not resident in the UK, so these pavement cyclists will presumably continue with impunity unless their schools and colleges educate them about responsible cycling and, where appropriate, take disciplinary action.

Jenny Lunnon, Oxford