Readers poke fun at "numpty" cyclist removed from busy M27 in Portsmouth by police

As reported, the cyclist was riding on the hard shoulder of the M27 westbound near junction 12 for Portsmouth at around 6pm on Tuesday. A police car with flashing lights was spotted at the scene while overhead gantry warned drivers of a "cyclist on road".

A police spokesman said: "At about 6pm on Tuesday, a man on a bicycle was spotted on the hard shoulder of the M27 westbound, between junctions 11 and 12. Police attended and safely removed him from the carriageway."

The report sparked a host of messages on The News’ social media, with locals having their say and recalling similar incidents from the past. One person said: “On what level did the cyclist think that what he was doing was right?”

Another reader mocked: “What a numpty.” A third asked: “Are they crazy?”

A  fourth said “he’s lucky he’s still alive” before a fifth person joked: “Probably moved quicker than the traffic.”

Others recalled bizarre incidents from over the years. One woman wrote: “That’s nothing…some years ago…I’m not sure the police believed me when I reported a French onion seller (beret, stripy jumper… and onions) riding the wrong way on his bike in the fast lane of the M275 heading North. I just missed him. It was one of those moments when you really think you are ‘seeing things’. 

“Another weird one was the chap who cycled with a trailer on his bike down the M275 Paulsgrove slip road into Pompey…not sure what he did next as he pulled up just before the intersection with the A27… presumably panic (rightly) set in.”

Another reader recalled: “I’ve not heard of anyone doing this for a while. But if my memory serves me right before it was made into a motorway, people did indeed ride their bikes into Portsmouth, and yes they tried to carry on doing this even after it became a motorway, it was a shortcut and downhill.”