A COUNCIL official has blasted a district authority after being flung from his bike and injuring himself.

Gideon Bull is a representative on the Haringey Council, but was set to run as Clacton’s Labour candidate in the last General Election.

He eventually decided to pull out of the race, however, after accusations of anti-Semitism were made against him before the party cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Mr Bull still regularly visits Clacton every few weeks to see his mum and stepdad, who live in the area.

On his visits, he often goes out on lengthy bike rides, including along the promenade but a recent outing ended in agony.

“I do a lot of biking, but a couple of weeks ago I had a bad accident because the paths here are not properly maintained,” he said.

“I came off my bike near the Gunfleet Sailing Club, in Holland-on-Sea, after skidding on some sand and I burnt my elbow and bicep and scrapped my forearm.”

Mr Bull has called on Tendring Council to better maintain the seafront, particularly where cyclists are allowed, to prevent more serious accidents.

“This council has never been any good, in my opinion, and I just don’t get why they can’t do better in maintaining the promenade,” he added.

“The bottom part is meant to be for cyclists, but it is all cracked and there is always sand all over it.

“They want to encourage more people to walk and cycle, but if they are going to achieve that, then they need to maintain the cycle tracks.”

A Tendring Council spokesman said it worked hard to keep promenades clear from sand and reminded cyclists they should not be using the lower prom.

“We would always urge people using our seafronts to take care and remind cyclists they should only be riding designated cycle routes.

“Unless specifically marked otherwise, cycling is prohibited on lower promenades and the upper prom is clear of sand,” he added.

“Removing sand is, of course, an ongoing battle with the elements - seafront paths will get sand deposited by the wind and waves and we ask for people’s understanding.

“This year we bought a specialist machine to improve how we clear sand from promenades and use our own staff to supplement our contractors when needed.”