CYCLISTS have been warned to negotiate speed bumps with care after a man said he was badly injured falling off his bike.

Wilfred Hutchinson, of Drummond Road, Darlington, is seeking compensation from Darlington Borough Council for a shoulder injury he says he received while cycling in the town's Salters Lane South.

As Mr Hutchinson tried to negotiate the space between the speed bumps and the pavement, he says his pedal got caught and he fell off his bike.

Since the accident, Mr Hutchinson has been unable to work and is seeking compensation for his injury.

He said: "I have suggested to the council that these traffic islands are dangerous to cyclists and need to be altered so that the pedal of a bicycle does not touch them or come into contact.

"I have also said that the gap between the natural kerb and the traffic island is very narrow, so there is no margin for error."

A council spokesman declined to comment on Mr Hutchinson's individual case, but suggested that there were ways for cyclists to negotiate the speed bumps.

He said: "The speed bumps are there to slow traffic down, so we would suggest that cyclists should slow down and go over the bumps, rather than trying to negotiate around them."