POLITICIANS, transport experts and residents have backed a campaign launched by this newspaper calling for the borough's roads to be made safer for cyclists following the death of a young female cyclist last week at a notorious blackspot at the foot of Kew Bridge.

Cyclist Maria Fox, aged 20, died of her injuries after being crushed under the wheels of an articulated lorry at the Brentford side of Kew Bridge on January 18th.

The fitness instructor from Heston is believed to have been cycling alongside a waste transfer lorry at the junction of Chiswick High Road and Kew Bridge. Witnesses said that the lorry, being driven by a 52-year-old Midlands man, rolled forward over the cyclist's torso as it took the left hand bend prior to the bridge.

Following the accident local MPs and residents were calling for action to be taken by Hounslow Council to improve the junction which is known to be dangerous. Marie's mother Gillian Fox spoke of the need for action to make cyclists safer.

This week Richmond upon Thames Council leader and cyclist, Serge Lourie said he would like to see changes to the road network to provide maximum safety for both cyclists and pedestrians.

He said: "Interestingly the pavement over Kew Bridge is very wide and is used as a cycle track. In the area where the young woman was killed it is not and I think it would be possible to get a proper cycle route in Brentford. I would certainly support it. On the Kew side going over the bridge the pavement is used by some cyclists.

We have been trying to improve the borough cycle network. This accident was horrendous, just awful, I cycle a lot myself and understand the problem.

We have got to get the balance right. I know there is concern from pedestrians about cyclists using the pavement but far more cyclists are killed on the roads than pedestrians are injured by cyclists but I understand that it is a very difficult issues. We have to devise a system which provides the maximum safety for both pedestrians and cyclists and in many places to look at the possibility of sharing of the pavement between cyclists and pedestrians.''

A spokesman for the cycling organisation Sustrans whose network does not include that area but who offer advice to councils said: "We have always had a policy of shared routes and I think generally these tend to work well.

"There is always potential for conflict between walkers and cyclists because of the different speeds they are often travelling at, but generally people get along if walkers and cyclists show courtesy for each other. There are no problems with shared cycle routes per se.

"Shared routes are very common on the continent and there is very little trouble with them as people are much more used to cyclists."

In a letter to the Richmond and Twickenham Times this week B Sneddon of Chiswick said that as a cyclist he was forced to stop whenever he heard the presence of large vehicles such as the lorry which killed Marie on the road.

He said: "Whenever I see one of these death traps on the road ahead of me I stop and let it go far away and the same if I hear the heavy engine approaching behind.''

A spokesman for Hounslow Council said that a cycle path had recently been installed near the spot where the accident happened.

She said that whilst safety on the roads was the responsibility of Transport for London (TfL) they regularly held meetings with both them and the police.

She said: "The council also recently put in a cycle path near to the spot where the accident happened. It is a dangerous junction and something needs to be done.''

Officials at TfL said that they keep a close eye on any incidents occurring on the borough's roads with a view to continually upgrading and improving safety.

A spokesman said: "We do monitor personal injury accidents especially and liaise closely with the police if there is a fatality.

''Part of the ensuing investigation focuses on whether the road layout could have contributed to the accident in any way.

''Our area team then look to see what improvements can be made. There have been accidents at that particular junction which will be taken into account in future efforts to make it safer."