The rise of the vigilante cyclists targeting London's dangerous drivers

“I would say only about 50 per cent of drivers in London are terrible,” says Jeremy Vine when I meet him near Oxford Circus. “The rest are quite good.”

We’re talking about cars because as well as being one of Britain’s most famous broadcasters, the keen cyclist is also known for his hobby — policing the roads with a camera mounted on his helmet. With his friend “CyclingMikey”, real name Mike van Erp, Vine is part of a wave of cyclists taking London road safety into their own hands.

While the rest of us shout a few profanities at bad drivers, Vine et al have taken to filming them, and sending evidence to the police. “We’ve got some phenomenally, record breakingly bad drivers in London,” Vine says cheerfully.

Vine posts his footage on social media, editing it himself to point out the worst offenders, often vans whizzing too close at high speed, or drivers using their phones at the wheel. Some get angry when they realise they’re being filmed.

The presenter had to go to court when