Bromley police have cracked down on "careless" drivers found to be passing dangerously close to cyclists.

Operation Close Pass, which was supported by the Council's road safety team, saw officers target drivers on Hayes lane.

Plain clothes police on bicycles with body cameras stopped seven drivers for close passing, the actions of two being deemed dangerous enough for prosecution.

Sergeant Steve Wilson from the Met Cycle Safety Team said “Close pass operations continue to form an integral part to the Vision Zero strategy - a plan devised in partnership with Transport for London and the Mayor’s Office aimed at reducing deaths on the Capital’s roads by 2041.”

“This operation, which the Met’s Cycle Safety Team and the Stay Wider Campaign have been working on, is proving invaluable in ensuring we continue to plan our operations in the most appropriate locations.

"The work here with the Bromley Road Safety Team highlights that considerate road use is a vital step in road safety.

This week’s operation was the fifth such operation in the Borough in the last 12 months.

Offending motorists are shown an educational presentation about the dangers of close passing a cyclist.

Councillor William Huntington-Thresher, Executive Councillor for Environment and Community Services said, “We want to remove the barriers to our residents to choosing active modes of transport such as cycling and walking for more of their journeys around the borough.

"The close passing of cyclists puts them in danger and can be very intimidating, discouraging cycling.

"By educating all road users to give as much room as they would to a car when overtaking, we believe cyclists across the borough will feel safer when riding.

"We hope that this driver education will also improve the experience of pedestrians using our “country” lanes where pavements may not be present or may be narrow.”

Operation Close Pass was first introduced by West Midlands Police in 2016 and in its’ first year of operation was responsible for a 20% reduction in cyclists killed or seriously injured on the roads.