A CYCLIST was handcuffed and led away by police after an alleged collision on Bournemouth promenade involving the town’s seafront boss – the latest drama in the controversy surrounding cycling on the prom.

Shocked beach-goers told the Daily Echo how they saw officers setting up a makeshift trap to apprehend a male cyclist yesterday afternoon.

It followed reports that seafront manager Chris Saunders had been involved in an alleged incident with a cyclist after asking him to slow down.

A spokesman at the seafront office said Mr Saunders had later attended a meeting and was not believed to be seriously injured.

Bob Collinson, 67, on holiday from West Yorkshire, was sitting outside his rented beach hut near Harry Ramsden’s restaurant when the police swooped.

“There was one police van, three cars and two woman officers on bikes,” he said. “There was a commotion and I looked through my binoculars to see them stop this guy and put him into a van.

“I heard there had been an incident between here and Boscombe.

“A police car reversed across the path to create a barrier across the promenade so he had no choice but to stop.”

A Christchurch woman, who did not want to be named, also witnessed a man being detained. She said: “He came cycling up and got off his bike. They handcuffed him and put him in the van.”

She added that she backed the current crackdown on cyclists who flout the 10mph speed limit. “We’ve two young children, and getting across the prom to the beach can be a real problem.

“The majority of cyclists are law-abiding but some definitely go too fast.”

A Bournemouth council spokesperson said: “We can confirm an incident took place on the seafront involving a member of staff and a cyclist.

“As the matter is now being investigated by Dorset Police it is not appropriate to comment further.”