A CYCLING campaigner is highlighting what he says is an easy fix to a problem often complained about on the city's riverside paths.

Danny Brothwell, chairman of the Bike Worcester campaign group, has been calling for Worcestershire County Council highways to look at adding a cycle lane to solve the problem of the narrowness of the popular paths.

He tweeted pictures, through Bike Worcester, showing cyclists and pedestrians trying to give each other space. In one people can be seen on the grass.

The debate between pedestrians and cyclists has been a long running one and gained added fuel with the need to social distance during the Covid pandemic.

But Mr Brothwell said the paths should be able to be used by both, and this would be made easier with a cycle lane running alongside the path.

The campaigner said: “ I love that the riverside path is so well used by walkers and folk on bike, but it means at times it falls short of being a valid cycleway due to volume of people on foot.

“It’s a victim of its own success.

“Particularly in a lockdown - during the spring it was really busy.

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“They are really well used routes. It means that for a cyclist knowing there are that many people walking - which is a good thing - it is not a viable route.

“At times it becomes impossible to cycle at all really.

“With the volume of people that use it, sometimes I’ll cycle on the grass, or slowly, or go back to a road. For me it depends on the time of day, which day of the week, on whether I’ll use a riverside path now.

“It would be solved simply, by adding a cycle lane."

Alan Amos, Worcestershire County councillor cabinet member with responsibility for highways said: “Worcestershire County Council monitors use of the popular riverside routes in Worcester, and is pleased to see these being so well used by pedestrians and cyclists.

"This makes a positive contribution to public health and wellbeing through exercise and enjoyment of the attractive riverside environment.

"The majority of the riverside paths conform to current minimum standard widths set by government.”