A cycling campaigner has faced a backlash after riding behind a police car responding to a 999 emergency, using the clear route created when traffic moved aside.
Adrian Chapmanlaw had joined other motorists at the edge of a busy road as the emergency vehicle came up behind them.
Once the police car had passed, the Liberal Democrat councillor moved into the open section of the dual carriageway left by drivers who had made room for it.
Instead of waiting for traffic to resume, he recorded himself passing cars on both sides, including moving through the inside, before catching up with the police vehicle.
Chapmanlaw, who has earned the nickname of a “pseudo cop” for confronting motorists filmed using mobile phones, later shared the footage on his Dorset Safer Roads YouTube channel.
The incident happened while he was cycling in Bournemouth, and he insisted that his manoeuvre was lawful.
Introducing the video, Chapmanlaw said the police car had effectively “parted the seas” for him. He explained that the road is routinely congested, has no cycle lane and usually forces him to filter through queuing traffic.
He said drivers rarely leave enough room for cyclists to do so safely, adding that he had chosen to use the gap only after the police vehicle created it.
Cycling campaigner Adrian Chapmanlaw shared footage of himself riding through the gap left by an unmarked police car responding to a 999 call.
The Bournemouth Liberal Democrat councillor has developed a controversial reputation among local drivers after recording alleged motoring offences and posting confrontations on social media.
Chapmanlaw argued that the same move would have been illegal in a car, but claimed filtering is lawful for cyclists and that the emergency vehicle had simply made the manoeuvre easier.
However, Home Office guidance warns that following a police car on an emergency response, while not specifically prohibited, could result in prosecution for careless or dangerous cycling if it creates a risk to the rider or other road users.
Several people who watched the footage rejected his explanation, describing the riding as dangerous. Others branded him an “idiot” and accused him of showing poor road etiquette.
A spokesperson for Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (BCP) & Dorset Motorists said Chapmanlaw behaved as though he were a police officer, and now appeared to believe he could ride like one.
The spokesperson acknowledged that the cyclist might not have broken a specific law, but criticised him for following closely behind the emergency vehicle and passing cars that had moved aside, calling the behaviour arrogant.
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They added that drivers who had already checked for the police car might not expect another road user to approach from the inside as they moved back into the queue.
Adam Bennett said the most reckless part was using the emergency response as an opportunity to overtake, warning that vehicles could quickly return to their original positions without anticipating a cyclist coming through the gap.
Jess McHale also criticised the decision, saying that slipping in behind an emergency vehicle after motorists had pulled over was plainly unsafe.
Chapmanlaw says he has reported nearly 70 motorists to police for allegedly using their phones while driving since 2023, and regularly posts footage of disputes with drivers and pedestrians.
Bernie Hughes responded that the footage appeared to show behaviour that could easily result in the cyclist being struck, adding that a motorist attempting the same manoeuvre might face arrest.
Mr Chapmanlaw responded by saying he was riding carefully at the time and was mindful of cars pulling back out into the road.
It is not the first time the elected member of BCP Council has incurred the wrath of motorists with his cycling.
He has repeatedly clashed with drivers over issues of not giving him enough room while overtaking his bike and tailgating him when he deliberately rides in the middle of the lane.
He has also had rows with drivers for parking on yellow lines and regularly calls people who park in zig-zags lines at crossing points ‘scumbags’.
Last year Mr Chapmanlaw was forced to apologise for accidentally filming children while he tried to catch motorists parking illegally outside a primary school in Bournemouth.
He has bragged about getting dozens of drivers in trouble by submitting videos of minor traffic offences to the police’s Operation Snap initiative.
He has been accused of deliberately trying to antagonise motorists to provoke conflict and make his YouTube videos more interesting so they get more clicks.
Several complaints to BCP Council have been made by people alleging that Mr Chapmanlaw’s behaviour is not becoming of an elected councillor.
But each time they are rejected on the basis he is acting in his own time while making videos for his YouTube channel.