AN Innerleithen resident has spoken of her disgust after witnessing a cyclist shouting abuse at a local pensioner who asked him not to ride on the pavement.

Sarah Keddie contacted us this week to say she was astounded by the total lack of respect when the cyclist, not thought to be local, called the elderly man a “f**king old b**tard”.

Despite signage being erected asking cyclists not to cycle on pavements, Mrs Keddie said people weren’t adhering to the rules.

She said the abuse took place on Monday afternoon on the pavement between Traquair Road and the Co-op.

“I was walking and chatting with a gentleman who I believe to be in his 80s when two bikers came towards us. The gentleman said ‘you should be on the road’ and the reply from the guy, maybe in his 30s, was ‘shut up’.

“At this point the elderly man said: ‘I heard that you know’ and the cyclist replied ‘you’re a f**king old b**tard’.

Mrs Keddie said she intervened and rebuked the cyclist for the way he spoke to the pensioner.

But instead of offering an apology she claims the cyclist continued to curse about the gentleman.

“As we walked away the female biker that was with him got off her bike and walked past us with her head down. I remarked that it was disgusting the way the elderly gentleman was spoken to, but her head stayed down and she didn’t say a word.

“I understand the bikers bring a lot of business to our wee town but I don’t think that gives the minority of them the right to carry on so disrespectfully”

And Mrs Keddie isn’t the only resident to voice concerns regarding cyclists on pavements.

A group of locals attended a recent open forum of Innerleithen Community Council and said that some cyclists when challenged respond with “abusive language”.

Chairman Marshall Douglas said: “I am greatly saddened to hear reports of an elderly resident being verbally abused by someone he had requested to stop riding on the pavement.

“This type of behaviour is condemned by both the community council and by the organisers of local cycling events.

“In all such cases members of the public should report the matter to the police, and in the case of event cyclists report their entry number to the event organisers.

“Thankfully these incidents are very few in number, with the vast majority of cyclists keeping within the rules. Innerleithen welcomes careful and considerate cyclists, bikers and other road users, but not those who abuse the hospitality of the town.”