An increase in the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured has seen casualties on London’s roads soar.

Provisional figures from Transport for London (TfL) showed the number of cyclcists killed or seriously injured on roads in the capital, between July and September 2018, increased by 83 per cent to 280 compared to 153 in the same period in 2017.

A total of 1,220 people were killed or seriously injured on London’s roads in the same period – up from 966 in the same three-month period a year earlier.

TfL has set up Vision Zero, its plan to reduce the number of deaths or serious injuries on London roads.

Vision Zero’s interim director Stuart Reid said: “Every death or serious injury on London roads is a tragedy for the victims and their families.

“We continue to work tirelessly in collaboration with boroughs, businesses, Government and others to end to this suffering.

“No death or serious injury should be treated as acceptable or inevitable, and this year, we’re doing more than ever before to improve road safety across London.”

The transport body said the casualty figures were likely to fall once they had been verified by the police, as a number of serious injuries would be reclassified as minor injuries.