West Mercia Police have asked parents to remind their children of road safety rules this summer after Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service releaed a video of a ‘near miss’ involving a child cycling in front of a car.

Group Commander Robert Allen was driving along the A38 near Bromsgrove in Worcestershire when a child cyclist crossed the road without stopping to check it was safe.

A quick response, advanced driving skills, and the fact that he was driving below the speed limit of 60 mph meant that GC Allen was able to brake and bring the vehicle safely to a stop and avoid any collision.

He explained why he made the dashcam video public: "Today a child rode out in front of me, across the road, without looking! I wasn’t sure whether to post the footage, but if it stops a child from being killed on the road it’s worthwhile.”

Detective Superintendent Stacey Williamson said: “Following the large response from the public after a video was released by Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service of a ’near miss’ involving a child cycling in front of a car, I would like to take this opportunity to urge children to stay safe over the summer period.

“We know young people will have been looking forward to their time off school, and particularly with the nice weather will be meeting up with their friends outside.

“We don’t want to stop them from doing this but are urging parents to ensure their children have a good general awareness of road safety and are using the road network safely, whether this be on public transport, as pedestrians or cyclists.

Members of the public can submit dash cam footage of incidents on the road to West Mercia Police via www.westmercia.police.uk/operationsnap