Several Richmond campaign groups came together on Saturday June 19 to protest at the exit of Richmond Athletic Ground where a cyclist from Whitton was killed in March.

Richmond and Twickenham Friends of the Earth (RTFoE), Richmond Cycling Campaign, Extinction Rebellion, and various other campaign groups staged a protest at the spot where Imelda Seymour, a 58 year-old teacher, was tragically killed in March.

This particular exit has seen many near misses and several crashes between cyclists and cars as well as Mrs Seymour's fatal accident.

The groups say it is a scandal that the gate remains open, despite five years of warnings of the dangers posed to pedestrians and cyclists.

A spokesperson for RTFoE said: "It was amazing how, while we were protesting, many passers by stopped to say that they agreed that the gate was dangerous and should be closed.

"Many cyclists reported having had near misses at the site themselves.

"We also spoke to drivers who were leaving the Athletic Ground, and they unanimously agreed that the gate was dangerous to drive through due to poor visibility.

"TFL has ignored warnings about this junction for over five years and now, despite this fatality, have failed to act."

The exit is particularly dangerous because visibility is poor for drivers, who need to edge out in order to see the road.

As the exit joins a dual carriageway, some drivers look one way (in the direction of oncoming traffic) and accelerate rapidly if they see a gap in traffic.

RTFoE and Richmond Cycling Campaign say the potential exit onto the Pools on the Park road is "far safer".

A spokesperson said: "It's time TFL and the RAA (Richmond Athletic Association) stopped prevaricating and closed this gate for good."

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