The killing of Zoe Sheldrake

Last year 13 cyclists were killed in London. After just four months, seven have died this year.

Zoe Sheldrake died in a collision with a black Audi on the northbound stretch of the A41 Edgware Way, close to junction 4 of the M1, at about 7.30am on Monday.

Ms Sheldrake, of Borehamwood, was a massage therapist and training to become a personal fitness instructor.

Boris Johnson has called on the Government to change driving tests so motorists are forced to pay greater attention to cyclists

A classically fatuous cosmetic response from a Mayor who is a much bigger friend to drivers than he is to pedestrians or cyclists.

The basic problem is that we live in a society where the criminally negligent operation of dangerous machinery, i.e. a motor vehicle, is treated as a minor peccadillo by the law and by the judicial system. All branches of the state are complicit in this, from the police to the Crown Prosecution Service. None of the three main parties are interested in changing this, and the mass media plays an important role in marginalising road violence.

“My sister never hurt a fly. She was just out cycling on an early morning health ride. We can't believe this has happened. It has blown my whole family apart.”