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Shane Murtagh Hammond: Aspiring artist is second cyclist to be killed in a week on London's roads

Aspiring artist: Shane Murtagh Hammond was an "experienced cyclist and very careful"
Aspiring artist: Shane Murtagh Hammond was an "experienced cyclist and very careful"

The family of a cyclist who died after a collision with a refuse lorry at a roundabout, today paid tribute to “a true leader and inspiration”.

Shane Murtagh Hammond, 34, was returning to his family home in Clapham after a shopping trip when the collision happened, at Queens Circus in Battersea, at 5.45pm on July 9.

He died at St George’s Hospital, Tooting, later that evening.

Queens Circus roundabout, on cycle superhighway 8, was built in 2015 as the first fully segregated roundabout for vehicles and cyclists in the capital.

Mr Hammond, an aspiring artist, was one of two London cyclists to be killed in a week. A 38-year-old man died in hospital on July 11, five days after he collided with a car in Islington.

Six cyclists have died in accidents in the capital this year, with three involving a lorry.

The scene of the crash in Battersea (Lee Christensen)
The scene of the crash in Battersea (Lee Christensen)

Mr Hammond’s mother Teresa De Marco, 54, said: “We are heartbroken. We can’t believe Shane has gone. He was a very experienced cyclist and was very careful. He wouldn’t even take the bike out in the rain. We need a full investigation.”

Paying tribute to her son, she said: “He was very clever at school and a talented artist who also did some modelling when he was younger. He was so healthy and always looked 10 years younger than he actually was.”

She said the graphic art graduate “loved to talk” and was “engaging and intelligent” and a “good family boy”.

“He had loads of friends and was a leader and inspiration,” she said.

The family said Mr Hammond was a huge fan of The Clash and supported Arsenal. They placed a club shirt at the crash scene.

His father Vincent said: “He loved rock and punk rock. We are going to bury him in his Dr Martens. That’s what he would have wanted.”

He said his son started cycling as a young boy and he “just can’t believe his bike is not there” when he looks out of the window.

“He had popped out to go to Marks & Spencer in central London. I heard about the accident on the radio and I knew immediately it was Shane. I just knew,” he said.

“When the police came I froze because I knew what was coming. We now need answers as to exactly how this happened. We are in the dark at the moment.”

Mr Hammond was the eldest of five brothers. The youngest, Glenn, 26, said: “There are two words that sum up my brother and they are ‘legend’ and ‘respect’. We all looked up to him. He had leadership qualities and was a very intelligent person.”

A Met police spokesman said: “The driver of the lorry stopped at the scene and was not arrested.”

Witnesses are asked to call the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 020 8543 5157 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org