Mr Loophole applauds police action against "vigilante cyclists" filming law-breaking drivers

Mr Loophole, real name Nick Freeman, has praised police for "taking action against vigilante cyclists" who film and submit offences by law-breaking drivers.

The lawyer, notorious for earning not guilty verdicts for celebrities charged with driving offences, weighed in after seeing the story, first reported by us and subsequently picked up by national newspapers, involving a Bristol cyclist receiving a Notice of Intended Prosecution after submitting a video of a driver using their phone.

Tom Bosanquet's offence was holding up a van driver for around nine seconds while he filmed another motorist using their phone behind the wheel of their MOT-expired Audi.

So I've just received a Notice of Intended Prosecution because when videoing a phone using, MOT-expired Audi driver, I held up a van by around 9 seconds!
Waiting for the physical letter, then I guess I'll be seeking legal advice. Any suggestions appreciated!@BristolCycling

— Tom Bugs (@BugBrand) March 9, 2022

Sharing the Daily Mail's take on the incident, Mr Freeman commented: "The Police should be applauded for eventually taking action against vigilante cyclists who frequently ride without reasonable consideration or even dangerously. And who, hitherto, have been immune to the law.

"And why isn't there a cycling awareness course? After all, good enough for motorists."

In the footage, submitted to Avon & Somerset Police, the cyclist "acknowledged the van with a hand gesture and moved on in a matter of seconds".

However, the police force subsequently issued a notice for cycling "without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other people using the road."

Following the brief delay, the held up van driver then drove through a red light, an action Avon & Somerset Police's representative said was due to "his frustration".

According to the Sunday Times, Mr Bosanquet submitted 500 headcam videos to the police last year and a further 200 so far in 2022, with 95 per cent leading to the police taking action.

Despite the notice, the cyclist remained adamant Avon & Somerset Police is "a leading UK force for dealing with constant road danger", and said it was "just a minor issue within a system that generally works well".

It is not the first time the force has turned the tables on a cyclist reporting footage of law-breaking motorists.

Last February, Avon & Somerset Police incorrectly threatened a rider with a fine for 'cycling on the footpath' after they submitted footage of a motorist driving across a pavement.

> "Too ridiculous": Cyclist reports motorist for driving on the pavement... and is threatened with fine for 'cycling on the footpath'

In a statement provided to road.cc, the police force admitted the rider had in fact been cycling on a shared-use path, and that no action would be taken against the cyclist.

However, the statement did warn those filming incidents that all offences seen in footage could result in action, including their own.

"We are grateful for all submissions of potential motoring offences that are uploaded through our website. But people should be aware that if it is identified that the person submitting the footage has also committed an alleged offence, they may also be prosecuted. This is made clear on our website before a submission is made," the statement read.

Loophole lawyer Mr Freeman is no stranger to outspoken comments about cycling in the UK, predicting carnage and more danger following January's Highway Code changes.

In December, the Government confirmed it has "no plans" to force cyclists to wear identification, among other things, following the solicitor's petition scraping over the 10,000-signature threshold for an official response.

> Government confirms it has “no plans” to make cyclists wear identification numbers as it rejects ‘Mr Loophole’ petition

Mr Freeman's petition broke the 10,000-signature barrier within the final 24 hours, having run for six months and repeatedly received news coverage by print and broadcast media, including The Telegraph and BBC Radio 4.

It unsuccessfully campaigned the Government to "require cyclists and e-scooter riders display visible ID, require that cycle lanes be used where available, and introduce a licensing and penalty point system for all cyclists and licensing system for escooter riders."