A CYCLIST has slammed an anti-cycling vigilante who laid barbed wire on cycle track causing him to go to hospital.

Riley Alexander, 44, from Hanover was mountain biking with two friends in Stanmer Park in Lewes Road, Brighton on Tuesday evening.

Riding at 20 mph, he was caught in the barbed wire that had been intentionally laid across the Zorro cycling trail.

Mr Alexander said the booby trap had the potential to seriously hurt someone.

He said: “I hit one of the jumps, landed and felt something whip up.

“I thought I had a loose a tree branch stuck in my back wheel, but then I felt something dig in my leg so I stopped and saw barbed wire wrapped around my wheel.

“If I was a less experienced rider and it got caught on a front wheel that I could have flipped them over and done some serious damage.

“It was rusty barbed wire, so after riding I went to hospital.”

Mr Alexander went to A&E at the Royal Sussex Hospital to have a tetanus jab, and luckily his bike which he has spent nearly £3,500 on modifying wasn’t damaged.

The bike mechanic and keen mountain biker said he wasn’t shocked by the trap which is called trail sabotage in the cycling world.

He added: “I’m not massively surprised - it’s getting to the time of year where trail sabotage does happen. There are walkers who think mountain bikers should be anywhere near there.

“I do mountain biking because it is my passion going off-road. I don’t know why someone would take the risk of seriously injuring someone.

“If anything it will make us cyclists pull together.”

Two years ago Sussex Police issued a warning after half a dozen trip wires were discovered strung across paths in Coldean Woods, Brighton.

The same year a cyclist broke his collarbone after he was dragged from his bike by a trip wire strung between two trees near East Brighton Golf Club.

Brighton and Hove cycling campaign group Bricycles called for the police to investigate. Becky Reynolds, campaigns officer and news editor, said: “I hope the police will be involved.

“Stringing wires across paths could cause injuries to children and wildlife as well as the intended victim.

“If the police are aware of any antagonism towards cyclists, I hope they will investigate the likely sources.”

Brighton and Hove City Council said they are investigating.