CTC email news letter

Quoted message said:

An apology

Matthew Parris has apologised for his ill-considered rant in the Times last week, no doubt under pressure from the hundreds of cyclists who complained to his editor and to the letters page in the Times. Since the article came out, the Times has run two letters from cyclists and an article by a cyclist justifiably outraged at his comments.

Articles threatening or inciting people to attack cyclists, ‘humorous’ or otherwise, will not be tolerated. Letters from CTC to the editor of the Times and the Press Complaints Commission were already on their way when the apology appeared, and it has subsequently been suggested that the PCC received over 200 complaints from individual cyclists. Following the apology, we have now asked the editor of the Times to ensure that such articles are never published again. We have also suggested that he employ a cycling columnist, as many other national newspapers do, and offered to provide Mr. Parris with some cycle training.

Should another article like this appear in the Times, or any other newspaper, we will seek legal advice about bringing a private prosecution against the author. Journalists must recognise that it is not acceptable to incite violence against cyclists, even if they have nothing interesting to write about and a deadline to meet.