Shocking videos show multiple drivers dangerously overtaking cyclists in Worcester, including an ambulance.

In footage captured by cameras mounted on the bikes and helmets of two city cyclists, who wish not to be named, several motorists can be seen leaving little room as they overtake at high speeds. 

The first video, which was captured on Newtown Road, shows a black Honda Civic leaving merely inches as it raced past the unsuspecting rider. 

Further footage submitted to the Worcester News from a separate incident involving the same cyclist shows an ambulance passing through a thin corridor of parked cars and oncoming traffic to narrowly overtake.

An additional recording sent in by a second cyclist in Ombersley Road appeared to show more than one driver breaching the recommended safe passing distance in one 30 second clip.

This comes in response to West Mercia Police figures which show hundreds of dangerous motorists were captured on camera and reported to the authorities by fellow road users in December. 

Drivers and cyclists submitted evidence of the careless motorists as part of Operation Snap and Operation Close Pass, which allow the public to submit digital footage showing potential traffic offences in the West Mercia region via a secure online form.

West Mercia Police received 179 submissions over the course of the month. 

Of those submissions, 124 visits or advice letters were given out and 34 penalty notices were issued. 

Officers took no further action in just 11 of the 179 reported cases.

A total of 10 submissions were made following RTCs.

Of the overall figure, 45 of 179 entries were made by cyclists, specifically reporting close pass issues. 

Those reports resulted in 45 drivers being processed by police in December, with 15 receiving notices and a further 30 being issued warning letters.

The Highway Code states the minimum distance drivers must give a cyclist when passing them in a car is 1.5 metres, and this must be adhered to at all times.

At higher speeds, distances of at least 2 metres are recommended, while the same distances for larger vehicles are recommended at all times.

A failure to give a berth of at least 1.5 metres can result in a criminal sanction of a £100 fine, and may also include points on the driver’s license.

While some of the motorists from the footage submitted to Worcester News were reported to the police via Operation Close Pass at the time of their recording, cyclists say they often hit a brick wall when trying to discover the outcome of their submissions as officers say they are simply too busy to send out individual updates.