Councillor criticised for cycling behind police car responding to 999 call
Liberal Democrat councillor Adrian Chapmanlaw has been criticised after filming himself cycling through a gap in traffic created by an unmarked police car responding to a 999 call in Bournemouth. He rode behind the vehicle, overtaking and undertaking stationary cars, and said he was legally filtering through a queue on a bicycle.
Motorists and a local campaign group called the move dangerous, arguing drivers might not expect a cyclist to pass as they moved back into the lane. Home Office guidance cited in the article says following an emergency vehicle is not explicitly illegal for cyclists, but could lead to prosecution for careless or dangerous cycling if it puts people at risk. Chapmanlaw said he rode carefully; he has reported almost 70 drivers for mobile phone use since 2023.
- Councillor Adrian Chapmanlaw cycled through traffic behind a police car on a 999 call.
- Critics said overtaking and undertaking as cars rejoined the lane was dangerous.
- Guidance says cyclists could face prosecution if their riding puts others at risk.
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In the UK, police can use emergency lights and sirens when responding to urgent calls, and other road users are expected to make way where it is safe to do so. Cyclists may filter past slow or stationary traffic, but they still have to ride with care and avoid putting others at risk.
Adrian Chapmanlaw is a Liberal Democrat councillor in Bournemouth, a town on England’s south coast. His reports of drivers using mobile phones have brought him into local road-safety debates, while this incident has raised questions about how cyclists should behave around emergency vehicles.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A cyclist may reasonably argue that filtering through stationary traffic is a legitimate way to travel, and that the reported guidance does not expressly ban cyclists from following an emergency vehicle. Chapmanlaw says he rode carefully, and his record of reporting drivers for phone use suggests he is concerned about road safety; any prosecution should depend on evidence of actual careless or dangerous riding.
The case against
Motorists and road-safety campaigners may argue that using a gap created by a police car answering an emergency call can create sudden hazards, especially if drivers move back into the lane without expecting a cyclist to pass. Even if the manoeuvre is not expressly prohibited, cyclists have a duty to avoid putting others at risk, and a narrow legal permission would not by itself establish that this particular ride was safe.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Moment ‘hated’ cycling vigilante dodges traffic jam by following police car on a 999 call”.