THE Cycling Minister has rejected NHS advice that riders should always wear helmets, saying he often doesn't and that it should be a matter of choice.

Whitby MP Robert Goodwill has told a Conservative conference fringe meeting that while he always wore one of the polystyrene-based hats while cycling energetically in North Yorkshire, he did not do so in London as he rode slower there.

The NHS advises: "Always wear a helmet – this reduces the risk of head injury if you're in an accident."

Safety campaigners, including the wife of Olympic rowing champion James Cracknell, who survived being hit by a tanker while riding wearing a helmet, say the headgear acts like a shock absorber and should be made compulsory.

Opponents to making helmets mandatory argue it would reduce cycling rates and that active travel is key to tackling obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Before the general election, the Conservative Party pledged to double the number of bike journeys made by 2025 and invest more than £200 million on cycling safety.

Ahead of a cycling fact-finding trip to Copenhagen with Chris Boardman this week, Mr Goodwill, who lost two stone after taking up cycling, said he considered helmets to be a necessity on the "greasy, slippery roads" in the North, as he had fallen off his bike numerous times.

He believes cycling needs to become second nature, as it is in the Netherlands and Denmark, and forcing riders to wear helmets could prevent that.

He said: "Certainly my children were always encouraged to use helmets, once they reached the age of 18 they could make their own decision.

"I don't cycle furiously in London, I do try and cycle furiously on the North Yorkshire roads or indeed in the Dalby Forest off-road sections there and the chances of me falling off are certainly much greater.

"Certainly I would recommend people to consider their welfare and their safety, I tend not to wear a cycle helmet in London but I do wear a cycle helmet always in Yorkshire."

Mr Goodwill highlighted that the introduction of compulsory helmets in Australia had seen the number of riders reduced.

He added: "The health benefits of cycling in terms of heart disease and obesity and everything else far outweigh the number of people killed and injured using cycles."

Mr Boardman has stated: “I think the helmet issue is a massive red herring. It’s not even in the top ten things you need to do to keep cycling safe or more widely, save the most lives.”