A CYCLIST was fortunate to escape serious injury when he was “clotheslined” by a piece of rope tied between two trees on a North-East mountain bike track.

It is thought the trap, which was a few feet off the ground at the Descend Hamsterley track, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, was laid sometime between 3pm and 5pm on Saturday or between 7am and 10am on Sunday.

The unknown man rode into the rope at about noon on Sunday.

Video footage caught on his helmet camera shows him being thrown from his bike and, after spending a few seconds on the floor, getting up and untying the rope.

See tomorrow's The Northern Echo for the full story.