CYCLISTS are being banned from a stretch of A19 in Teesside for their own safety.

Warning signs have already been put up on an eight-mile stretch between the Parkway junction for the A174 and the junction for the A689 at Wolviston.

The ban which came into effect on July 13 has the full support of Cleveland Police and both Middlesbrough and Stockton councils.

In 2012, 50-year-old Christopher Griffiths, from Wynyard, near Stockton, was killed when he was cycling to work on the dual carriageway near to Billingham.

Highways England’s Kyle Maylard said: “This section of the A19 is a mixture of two, three and four lanes and has a number of sliproads entering and exiting the A19. Cyclists are particularly vulnerable on this section of the road which is why we have implemented this ban.

“There are safer alternative routes using a combination of local roads and dedicated off-road cycle routes which they can use.”

Councillor David Rose, Stockton Borough Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and transport, said: “The safety of all road users travelling through our Borough is of utmost importance to us and sadly, in recent years we have seen several serious accidents involving cyclists on this section of the A19.

“We are in full support of Highways England’s decision to ban cyclists on this part of the road.”

Inspector Wendy Tinkler of Cleveland Police said: “Our aim is to ensure that we do all we can to keep members of the public safe on our roads and to prevent unnecessary deaths.”