Hundreds descend on Holborn to protest after the Queen's doctor killed while cycling

Hundreds of furious cyclists brought part of central London to a standstill on Monday as they called for an end to cycle deaths in the capital.

The #mustendnow protest came in response to the death of Dr Peter Fisher, a doctor to the Queen who was hit by a lorry while cycling in High Holborn on Thursday.

Organised by the London Cycling Campaign, hundreds cycled the short distance from Russell Square to High Holborn, where campaigners gathered in the middle of the crossroads to deliver fiery speeches.

They claimed progress in delivering safe cycling infrastructure in the capital was “unacceptably slow”.

A spokesman for Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said "record amounts" are being invested to make the capital's roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians.

Caroline Russell, a member of the London Assembly, was at the protest.

She told the Standard: “It’s shocking that we are gathering again at the same location where Alan Neve was killed five years ago and yet nothing has been done in the interim to design out danger here.

"It’s just utterly wrong that we know the risks and people are still having to ride their bikes in such lethal conditions.

"These hostile streets need fixing fast so that people get home safely from work."

London Cycling Campaign said the High Holborn junction where Dr Fisher died is on its list of “hostile and dangerous” intersections in the capital. It held a similar protest there in 2013, following the death of Mr Neve.

It has criticised “delays” in improvements to the junction, as well as to the Old Street roundabout, where cyclist Sarah Doone lost a leg after she was hit by a lorry last month.

A spokesperson for Mr Khan said: “The mayor believes that deaths and serious injuries on London’s roads are neither acceptable or inevitable.

“That’s why Sadiq is investing record amounts to make London’s roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians.

“He wants to work with local boroughs to supercharge the delivery of cycle infrastructure. Despite the opposition of councils like Westminster, good progress has already been made with the completion of Cycle Superhighways, transforming dangerous junctions and 100km of Quietways.

“The Mayor has asked Transport for London (TfL) to bring forward safety improvements at Old Street roundabout, with enabling work to transform the junction now starting in November."