CYCLISTS have been slapped with £30 fines for riding on Headington pavements.

Police handed out 12 fixed penalty notices on Tuesday afternoon. Pcso Jason Martin, pictured left, talking to a cyclist, said cycling on pavements was a frequent hazard for pedestrians in London Road.

He said: “What we want to do is try to take a zero tolerance to cycling like that in the area. It shows we do mean business and we are trying to get the message across to everyone that you will get a £30 ticket if you are found abusing that law.”

The neighbourhood team also stopped cyclists to explain the law to them.

Pcso Martin added: “We have done this operation quite a few times. “We do get a lot of complaints from residents and traders about it. Every time we stop someone people say to me they would like to see it more often.”

But he said signs were confusing in places, adding: “If people are confused with the signage we tend to give them a word of warning.”

Ruth Wilkinson, Liberal Democrat Oxford City Council member for Headington, said: “It’s a subject close to many people’s hearts in Headington.

“We have a lot of cyclists and a lot of pedestrians.

“It’s a very good exercise for the police to explain the regulations to cyclists so they understand where they can ride bikes and where they cannot, because some people genuinely are confused about where they can and cannot cycle.”