The daughter of the cyclist who was left fighting for his life after a rush-hour crash in New Malden has encouraged cycling safety and thanked bystanders who helped her father.

Siobhan Sharp, 24, said her police officer father was training to cycle in the Prudential Ride London race on Sunday to raise money for the NSPCC charity when he was hit by a car in Portland Avenue, just before 6pm last Wednesday.

He was cycling on a 20 mile training route home from work with just three miles to go when he was knocked down and rushed to St George’s Hospital in a critical condition.

Miss Sharp, from Kingston, said: "He was cycling on his way home from work, which was to be the last time he planned to cycle before the Pru 100 on Sunday.

"The NSPCC is important to him because in his line of work he has come across lots of vulnerable children and has seen how agencies like the NSPCC really help them.

"We have been told that a passerby, who was a GP, administered first aid whilst waiting for the ambulance to arrive which is amazingly kind and brave.

"The staff at St George's have also been wonderful in helping him and us through this. We would also like to thank any witnesses who stayed to help the police gather statements."

Her father was taken to the major trauma unit in St George's where he underwent plastic surgery on his ear and was diagnosed with a double fracture of the neck.

No arrests have been made and Kingston police has launched an appeal for witnesses.

Miss Sharp, a former Rose Theatre employee, hopes that her father’s accident will encourage other cyclists to think about their safety when riding.

She said: "The damage to my dad’s helmet has shown us that it was vital in protecting him from sustaining even more serious injuries. Hopefully this will encourage other cyclists to wear theirs.

"He is now on the road to recovery and we feel extremely lucky that he will recover considering the severity of the accident."

If you witnessed the crash or have any information call Kingston police on 101 quoting reference 0407201/15.