Mum welcomes police action in bike clamp down in Bognor

Donna Murphy, whose three-year-old daughter Abigail was left fighting for her life after the incident two years ago in Aldwick Road, has praised the work of officers combating those breaking the law on using pavements.

Op Cycle, which was initially launched at the end of last year, is to be rolled out across the town with a thought-provoking poster campaign featuring the seriously-wounded youngster.

Police officers will target areas across the town and have A-frames clearly warning of the no-cycling enforcement. Anyone caught cycling on pavements will be given a 30 fixed penalty, two stops will result in a court appearance.

Mrs Murphy said: "I think Gemma Turner and the Bognor police team have done a really great job in creating this poster campaign which I hope will stop things happening to children like my daughter Abigail.

"The doctors had originally told us to prepare for the worst with her after she was knocked down but thankfully it didn't come to that.

"She is still really nervous about going out and she has been to see a psychiatrist for the past eight months and she will have to continue to see neurological doctors until she is 12. They will not know for a couple of years whether there is any long-term damage.

"But she is still as bright as a button and happy, it's just going to take her a long time to get over it."

The mother, who lives in Dumbarton, Scotland, had been visiting friends in Bognor while waiting for a hospital operation at the time of the incident in June, 2008.

The family have been told that there will be no compensation for Abigail, who suffered a fractured skill, bleeding in her brain and kidney problems, as there had been no malice involved. This has left concerns over how they will fund any potential medical treatment for their daughter Police Community Support Officer Gemma Turner wanted to do something to help.

She said: "This is an important issue to me as I was there guarding the scene of Abigail's incident and it affected me personally and really wanted to do something about it.

"We want to stop something like this happening again, people need to know how serious this is, Abigail was very nearly killed," explained the officer of the force's latest initiative.

PC Mark Linberry confirmed illegal cycling on pavements had been highlighted as a serious concern to residents across Bognor Regis.

He believed its latest poster campaign would have a strong effect as part of an ongoing drive to resolve the issue.

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