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Police launch campaign to discourage young cyclists from deliberately swerving in front of cars

Hertfordshire Constabulary has made a video detailing consequences of playing dangerous new ‘game’ that could end in disaster

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Hertfordshire Police has launched a campaign to warn young cyclists of the dangers of deliberately swerving in front of cars for social media videos.

The move comes after a young boy called Paul was knocked off his bike as his friends filmed him playing the ‘swerve the car game’.

His mother, Lesley Belcher from Borehamwood, has joined police in warning of the potentially fatal consequences of this game by sharing her story, along with footage of the incident.

She says the bike was destroyed in the impact, which caused £1,200-worth of damage to the car, which she had to pay for. Despite, the severity of the crash, her son was fortunate to escape with nothing more than bruises.

Belcher explained how she learned her son had been knocked off his bike through social media, as the video was uploaded to Instagram before police had had a chance to get in contact and explain what had happened.

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“When he walked through the door and looked at me, I just thought ‘you’re so stupid’.”

Sergeant Leah McDermott, from the Borehamwood Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “This so-called ‘game’ just doesn’t make sense. Those who attempt to swerve in front of cars are not only putting themselves in real danger, but also those in the vehicles.

“The consequences could be severe and I would like to thank Lesley for working with us in producing this film and being so honest about her and her son’s experience, which I hope will discourage others who are considering doing the same.

“I and other officers don’t want to have to knock on a child’s parent’s door to tell them that their child has been seriously injured or worse. This ‘game’ must stop.”

Hertfordshire Constabulary has launched the ‘What won’t you swerve?” campaign with videos posted to its social media accounts, and will be attending local schools to explain the dangers posed on the road.

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