THE parents of a man killed as he cycled home along Bournemouth's A338 Spur Road at night have called for safety measures to be implemented to prevent future tragedies.

Christopher Gibbs, a popular dementia care worker, died instantly after being struck by a van at 10.40pm around a mile from the Ashley Heath roundabout, an inquest heard on Friday.

The driver of that van, courier Kevin Johnson, was sentenced to a 12-month community order after pleading guilty, last year, to causing Mr Gibb's death by careless or inconsiderate driving.

Mr Johnson, who gave evidence at the inquest – where he made a tearful apology to Mr Gibbs' parents –maintains he did not see Mr Gibbs prior to or after the collision.

He had stopped briefly at the scene, believing he'd hit a deer, and was arrested at home later after police traced his vehicle.

Mr Gibbs had been cycling from Verwood where he worked, back home to Lower Parkstone, Poole, when the accident happened on October 3, 2017, the hearing was told.

The 30-year-old, who had recently completed the Bournemouth Triathlon, had been in training for the Bournemouth half marathon, which was set for the following weekend.

His mother, Deborah Turner, said: "I would like all vulnerable road users to be kept safe, and if that means a cycle lane on the Wessex Way, then there should be a cycle lane. There is no safe alternative route for cyclists from Verwood to Poole."

She also recalled the last time she saw her son.

"We spent most of the afternoon laughing our heads off," she told the court.

Mrs Turner added she had, in the past, begged him not to cycle on the Spur Road, as "I didn't want him exposed to 60 or 70mph traffic. I didn't want him, as a vulnerable road user, there. But he felt he would be alright, and he should have been."

Shortly before the accident, Mr Gibbs –who would regularly run 5km then cycle home – had texted his mum about his preparations for the half marathon.

He told her: "I'm either going to be superman or die trying."

Mr Gibbs' father, Rob Barron, who backed calls for a cycle lane and better lighting on the A338, said: "Something has to be done to make the Wessex Way safer."

The hearing heard that Mr Johnson, from Berkshire, had been driving within the speed limit when he stuck Mr Gibbs.

He immediately pulled over, which was confirmed by GPS data, to inspect his vehicle. However, because of the speed of the collision, Mr Gibbs' body was found 130ft from the impact.

The court also heard from Dorset Police Inspector Joe Pardey, who said: "There is clear evidence he stopped his vehicle."

But Inspector Pardey said 16 other motorists had provided witness statements to say they had seen the cyclist - all but one of these said they had seen his red rear bike light.

Asked by Assistant Dorset Coroner Richard Middleton whether a cycle lane would be appropriate on the A338, Inspector Pardey replied: "It is a major route into one of our biggest towns and cyclists should be afforded protection. A cycle lane would be great because it gives protection to cyclists."

Mr Middleton, who told the family he would now consider making further representations about improving cycle safety on the road, recorded a conclusion of death by road accident.

Just before his conclusion, Mr Gibbs' grieving mother stressed: "It is every motorists duty to expect the unexpected."

Van driver who killed cyclist breaks down in tears

THE van driver who killed Mr Gibbs was working as a courier at the time of the fatal accident.

He was travelling southbound, along a section of the unlit dual carriageway, when the collision took place.

Mr Gibbs was thrown a significant distance, passing away from chest and head injuries almost instantaneously.

Giving evidence at the inquest, driver Kevin Johnson sat just a few feet from Mr Gibbs' family.

Breaking down in tears he said: "I'd just like to apologise to the family. It was a tragic accident, I'm not a bad person.

"I've been driving for 40 years and never had an accident in my life.

"If I thought I had hit a person I would have stopped and reported it straight away."

He also maintained he couldn't understand what had happened, that he did not see Mr Gibbs at any point and thought he'd struck a deer.

Mr Johnson said: "I'd like to see a cycle lane put in, and the lighting could be better on the road.

"Even some of the motorways are lit up better than that road."