Cyclist who used the M6 motorway to deliver takeaways arrested

A cyclist who used the M6 to deliver takeaways has been arrested, with police adding a cautionary note that riding on the motorway is both an "offence" and "highly dangerous."

The cyclist was picked up by the Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG), riding southbound between junction 7, Great Barr, and Junction 6, Spaghetti Junction.

The CMPG added that the male cyclist had been "arrested for immigration offences", tagging the popular delivery company Deliveroo in its tweet.

On Tuesday morning, the CMPG wrote on X: "Male arrested for immigration offences having been stopped riding his push bike along the M6 South between junctions 7-6 he was delivering takeaways."

It added: "The motorway is no place for delivery riders it's an offence and highly dangerous. @Deliveroo"

Cycling Weekly has contacted West Midlands Police to ask for further information, and to confirm it the rider was working for Deliveroo, and will update this story if more information becomes available.

The Highway Code forbids cyclists, pedestrians, and vehicles such as motorbikes with engines under 50cc from using the motorway (Rule 253). However, this takeaway rider was far from the first cyclist to be apprehended on the motorway.

In May 2022 a cyclist was forced onto the verge by police after riding in lane two of the M3 motorway, in Hampshire (UK). 

The policing unit said that the rider "did not want to stop for us, continued into Lane 3," they added that the cyclist "eventually had to be forced onto the verge area where the rider was detained."

In this case, the policing unit confirmed that the rider had been "arrested for causing danger to road users and suspected possession of a class A substance."

In March 2020, a cyclist was spotted riding on the M60, by officers from Greater Manchester Police. The incident took place during the Covid lockdown, and police issued a fine, adding: “this does not constitute your daily exercise.”

That same year, in January, another rider was seen on the M25, pedalling between Reigate and Leatherhead in Surrey. In that case, Highways England put up a message on the overhead electronic signs, warning road users and instructing them to reduce their speed to 50mph. However, the cyclist could not be located by police.

Perhaps the most famous such incident involved four athletes from the Sri Lankan Commonwealth Games squad, who were stopped in 2014 as they carried out a training ride on the M47 in Scotland. 

Days later, the Bahamas team found themselves in a similar position, training for the Commonwealth Games road race on the M80, near Glasgow.