FOOTAGE of a car driving “too close” to a five-year-old cyclist has sparked a heated debate between Sajid Javid and Jeremy Vine.
Vine shared the video on Twitter and slammed the driver for not going “dead slow” – and said anyone who disagreed should “cut up their driving licence”.
The footage shows the boy cycling along a street in Kingston, South West London.
A car approaches from the other direction and passes without any incident – but the parent filming can be heard blasting the driver for not stopping or slowing down for the youngster.
Vine said: “Take a look at this video of a five-year-old cycling to school.
“He’s being recorded by his dad behind. Look at how close this car approaches the child. Who is in the wrong?
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“Is it the five-year old, or is it the driver of the Ford?”
And Javid, the MP for Bromsgrove and a former home secretary, responded: “The five-year-old’s father.”
A clearly fuming Vine then wrote back: “I mustn’t respond. I mustn’t respond. I mustn’t respond.”
The broadcaster later tweeted: “You might remember this video from earlier in the week – we asked whether the driver was wrong to pass so close to the child.
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“Now former Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, has suggested the FATHER is in the wrong. What do you think?”
The five-year-old’s dad also took to Twitter to comment on the incident which happened last week.
He said: “How can we expect parents to let their kids ride to school if this is how their neighbours drive towards them?
“He’s five by the way and this is 100m from his home.
“This is what happens when you don’t provide safe cycling infrastructure around schools or on the way to schools.
“Today it was my child but it could easily have been yours or anyone else.”
The video sparked a huge debate on social media – with some saying they “couldn’t see a problem” while others suggested the youngster shouldn’t be on the road.
One person said: “Which parent would let a five year old cycle down the middle of a road , it’s certainly not being responsible…”
Another wrote: “There is also a cycle lane here.
“If they used that, they would have had to have given way to the car, as the car would have been nearer to the junction by then and would be the safest thing to do.”
But a third disagreed and said: “The boy was fearless and steady, therefore ready to ride on the road.
“The driver as at fault for driving in a way that did not leave a 1.5 m gap between his car and the cyclist.
“The cyclist had passed the first parked car the the driver had a choice.”
Durham Police also got involved in the debate.
The force’s roads and armed policing unit tweeted: “The child cyclist is safely dressed and clearly visible in the conditions.
“The child cyclist is more unpredictable as a road user because of their age.
“The car has more than adequate space to stop / slow / give way.
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“Squeezing past as they did is inexcusable.”
They added: “Slow down. Pay attention. Respect all others on the road. And don’t blame kids for the actions of adults.”