A CYCLIST whose bike was damaged on road works has hit out at how his accident was dealt with by the repair company and the local authorities.

Rob Lee, 44, was badly shaken-up and his rear wheel bent when he rode over three pits in Lanehouse Rocks Road, Weymouth, where roadworks were taking place.

He said it took eight letters and telephone calls between himself, Dorset County Council, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council and the company contracted to do the work to solve just who was responsible for the damage.

Mr Lee, who works on the prison ship HMP Weare at Portland, said he is annoyed that Bournemouth-based The Surfacing Company have not yet apologised for the incident even though they have offered him a cash settlement.

"It seems to me that people don't seem to care about your welfare. I haven't done this to get money, it's just the principle of the matter," he said.

Mr Lee, of Claire Avenue, Weymouth, said the damage happened when he was cycling home from work and was caused by a combination of going downhill quickly and the fact the roadwork signage guided vehicles over the pits.

"As soon as I got home I phoned the county council to tell them they needed to get a health and safety person to the site because I feared another cyclist having a serious accident," he said.

Mr Lee was then told by the county council that Wey-mouth and Portland were responsible for the work and he should lodge a complaint and bill with them. However, the borough responded by saying the council contractor, Weyport Services, were dealing with the incident and would need to speak to the sub-contractor when it returned from holiday.

"After a couple more letters and phone calls I was eventually contacted by The Surfacing Company saying it was willing to give me £26.50 for the damage.

"I was so annoyed because they were ultimately responsible and the least I expected was an apology and some concern for what had happened but I got nothing," added Mr Lee.

Angela Saint, of Weyport Services, said: "When Weyport contacted Mr Lee we stated that we were sorry to learn about the incident. We passed the details on to the sub-contractors, The Surfacing Company, who have dealt with the incident by offering a cash settlement."