A reckless lorry driver is probably the first person in Britain to be prosecuted and convicted for driving too close to a cyclist while overtaking.
A 60-year-old man was caught by an undercover police officer as part of an operation to stop dangerous drivers who make the roads unsafe for cyclists.
He made the pass on a busy road in Tipton, a town just outside Birmingham, last November.
Officers gave him the option of accepting a fine and points on his driving licence, but the driver chose to take his case to court instead, and lost.
He was ultimately convicted of driving without due care and attention during the encounter, which was caught on camera. He received a £1,038 fine, and was given five points on his licence.
Officers at West Midlands Police believe the case could be the first of its kind, given that near-miss incidents rarely end up in court.
The force, which operates in and around Birmingham, says its plain-clothes cycling officers have pulled over more than 200 drivers so far.
Most are allowed to go without punishment after having the Highway Code rules on overtaking explained to them again, using a portable floor mat marked with acceptable overtaking distances, like this one:
However, 13 of the incidents have led to prosecutions. Two drivers had their licences revoked on the spot after failing a sight test.
West Midlands Police has been dispatching plain-clothes officers on bicycles since September last year.
It said as many as 16 other British police forces are likely to launch similar schemes in future.
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