A LABOUR councillor warned a Tory colleague against ‘politicising’ a family’s heartache as the row about cycling in Darlington town centre re-ignited.

At a recent full Darlington Council meeting, Councillor Alan Coultas questioned why a scrutiny committee had concluded that cycling should continue to be allowed in Darlington’s pedestrian heart.

That meeting was called in the wake of an incident last September in which 74-year-old Brian Coates was believed to have been startled or knocked down by a cyclist and suffered life-changing injuries as a result.

Cllr Coultas said the solution to problems caused by rogue cyclists was simple – make them push their bikes through the town centre.

He also complained that a petition called on cycling to be banned in the pedestrian heart that was presented by the Coates family to the committee meeting was not officially recorded.

He added: “The people who have been really affected are the Coates family and that really does concern me.”

In response, Cllr Dot Long said the committee’s recommendations were clear.

Addressing Cllr Coultas she added: “I do feel very much for the family, but I think that the way you are using the Coates family is disgraceful; it is bordering on the politicisation of this family’s heartache.”