The North Yorkshire Police Commissioner Julia Mulligan opened a can of worms yesterday when she criticised leisure cyclists for the impact they were having on “villages”.

Perhaps an understandable comment if groups of 20+ riders were zooming through villages “en mass” at speeds of over 30 mph.

The Commissioner’s comments was widely condemned by cycling campaigners.

The reality is that most cyclists are riding alone on quiet roads while taking the governments recommended daily exercise quota.

Few stop in villages which are all now much quieter since motor vehicle traffic substantially reduced.

We doubt if most villagers even notice the cyclists although their numbers may slightly up.

Around York, some cyclists have abandoned dedicated cycle paths like the links from York to Selby & that from Rufforth to Knapton.

The reason paradoxically is a sort of congestion.

The routes have become increasingly popular with walkers. Family groups with children and dogs can make social distancing difficult on paths which have very limited widths in places.

On the other hand, quiet country lanes are relatively safe, ideal for leisure cycling and a great way to keep fit.

NB. The number of people in the UK dying from heart and circulatory diseases before the age of 75 is rising for the first time in 50 years, the British Heart Foundation has said.

In 2017, 42,384 people died from heart and circulatory diseases in the UK before the age of 75, a rise of just over three per cent on the 41,042 in 2014. Among under-65s, there were 18,668 deaths in 2017, up almost 4 per cent on the 17,982 five years earlier.

Tam Fry, from the campaign group the National Obesity Forum, said: “This must make Whitehall sit up and take tackling obesity seriously though each government this century has made just that a priority.