"I WENT to this lad and prayed with him. Then I heard a man, who was in shock, say, 'that's my boy'. It was a sight you can never forget really."

The words of the Reverend Huw Rowlands after the tradgedy on a road near Abergele in North Wales on Sunday.

This tragedy to a group of law-abiding cycling club members was during daylight hours. I fear we will hear similar prayers on a road in York. That is if the police do not at least try to put an end to the apparent ever growing numbers of cyclists who show no signs of understanding the benefits of lighting up.

Can I suggest the police have a purge, at least for these dark and dismal months. They will find many cyclists who are not abiding by the law. They should then fine them heavily, seize their illegal cycles, only to return them when a set of lights is produced. Too many times this winter have I narrowly avoided some halfwit who must think car drivers develop additional bat-like senses while driving. We don't.

North Yorkshire Police, please help, start on Beckfield Lane, York, after 4.30pm, a magnet for the dim - and no, they aren't all school leavers.

R Lund,

The Wandle,

York.

Updated: 11:31 Wednesday, January 11, 2006