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Council is sued after cycleway sign crash A CYCLIST who says he was injured for weeks after slamming into the back of a road sign blocking a cycle path is suing the council.

Roger Excell, of Columbia Road, Poole, was unable to walk after tearing tendons and muscles in his groin and legs in the cycling accident.

He crashed into the back of a "Road Works Ahead" sign which he claims was blocking the cycle path on Canford Way, splitting his helmet in two, knocking him out and tearing open his elbow.

The 56-year-old was cycling to work at the Nuffield Industrial Estate in driving rain on August 14, at 5.15am.

Despite having a strong headlamp, he did not see the sign, which he says was unlit, until it was too late and he slammed straight into it.

Roger, who is a registered carer for his wife, who suffers from arthritis, was bedbound for almost a week.

A month on, the machine engraver has returned to work but is in pain every day and has to use walking sticks to get about.

Now he is making a claim against Borough of Poole for £1,200 in lost earnings and damage to his cycling gear.


OBSTRUCTION: An identical sign to the one involved in the accident in a similar spot on the cycle path
And he has blasted the council for continuing to put up similar signs along the path - even after he made them aware of the danger.

He told the Echo: "If I hadn't had that helmet on I could have fractured my skull, or possibly been killed.

"Going to work by taxi over the next few weeks I saw the same signs - still with no lights on - after the council had been informed of what happened.

"I think it's absolutely disgusting they can do that."

A spokesman for Borough of Poole said: "It is being investigated by our insurers.

"We received a claim on August 20. Because the claim is going through at the moment we can't make any further comment."

7:00pm Sunday 16th September 2007