Isle of Man TT visitors cautioned for cycling on Mountain Road

The Mountain Road has been made one-way for safety reasons until 13 June

Visitors from the UK have been cautioned for cycling against the one-way system on the A18 Mountain Road which had been shut.

The temporary ban on cycling was there "purely for safety", Isle of Man Police said.

The road was closed to allow emergency services to help a motorbike rider who suffered serious injuries.

Officers said the cyclists' "dangerous action" could have been worse had the route been open.

Cycling is banned on the A18 Mountain Road through the TT period, with a temporary one-way system for vehicle traffic in place from the Ramsey hairpin to the Creg-ny-Baa until 13 June to improve road safety.

'Clear signs'

Sgt Andrew Reed said slow moving vehicles like bicycles can cause other vehicles to take evasive action "which can cause danger".

A pair of cyclists from Leeds and a separate group from Swindon were arrested by police by the Mountain Hut for contravening the one-way system and entering the closed road.

"Had they been on it when we opened it again we would have sent hundreds of bikes whizzing towards them", Sgt Reed said.

He urged visitors and locals to " do your research" to be aware of closures and abide by the "clear warning signs" around the Mountain Road.

Police are "not persecuting cyclists, it is purely a safety factor that anything that is slow moving on that Mountain Road during TT, we don't want there for safety", he added.