AMBULANCE crews are urging all cyclists to wear a helmet after a graphic example in Dudley of why it is so important.

West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to Castle Gate Island outside Dudley Zoo at 5.25pm yesterday afternoon after a collision between a car and a bicycle.

An ambulance was on scene within three minutes and was closely followed by an ambulance officer.

Senior paramedic officer, Nathan Hudson, said: “Thankfully the cyclist, a man of approximately 30 years, was not badly hurt. He was complaining of right sided pain and had cuts and bruises. However, what was notable is that he had suffered a relatively minor head injury.

"What almost certainly saved him from a potentially serious head injury was the fact that he was wearing a cycle helmet.

“Over the years many ambulance staff have seen cyclists who were not wearing helmets end up with very serious head injuries.

“For something that is relatively cheap to buy, it could even save your life; surely it must be one of the easiest ways of protecting yourself from injury. “I would urge every cyclist to wear one whenever they go out on their bike – you never know when you might need it.”