I feel I need to respond to Ron Coleman’s letter, September 23...’Why remove the tracks?’.

During this pandemic I have gone for a daily walk....and approximately 2-3 times weekly I have taken a walk down by the harbour. In the last two months I have witnessed two pushbike accidents that have happened right in front of me, both involving the tracks by the harbour.

With the first incident an elderly gentleman was crossing the tracks and skidded; he fell to the floor together with his bike and elderly dog (in the front basket) - a road worker and myself helped him and the dog up and he insisted that he was all right and did not want any further help (although he walked off appearing quite shaken up).

Then last week only about 20 metres from this first incident, I was right there where an older lady caught her bike tyre in the track and plummeted head first over her bike.

In this instance, things were not quite so well. She said she was in agony and it was clear from her leg and the acute pain in her shoulder that she had sustained major injury.

Another couple stopped also and we tried to keep the lady as comfortable as possible whilst waiting for the called ambulance. Her pain became more acute...a phone call to the RNLI resulted in two crew coming to assist, bringing gas to administer for pain and completing emergency aid.

As a nurse of 37 years I have to say that these rescuers were absolutely brilliant in their check of regular observations.

They commented on how often these accidents are occurring because of these tracks at the harbour.

Both of these incidents I witnessed were on sunny days.

We are now heading into autumn and the rain will only intensify the hazard of these tracks for cyclists I fear.

I am a Capricorn....and true to my horoscope I love history and have many old photos of Weymouth and I love the old history of towns.

But having ‘done the math’ i.e. if I can witness two incidents on my random walks in two months, and the RNLI say ‘it is happening all the time’....I am ALL FOR getting these dangerous tracks removed as soon as possible.

They are clearly a health & safety hazard.

LORAINE ROBBINS

Hardwick Street, Weymouth