A cyclist and a dog walker suffered nasty injuries after a man cycled into a dog lead that was stretched over a path in Blackheath.

Robert Perkins was cycling in Blackheath Common at around 8pm on Monday June 12 when he hit the “long, thin retractable dog leash” belonging to a family out walking their two dachshunds.

The woman, who was out celebrating her husband’s birthday with her two daughters, was dragged to the ground after the cyclist hit the leash.

In a letter Mr Perkins said: “Travelling south on my bicycle I was completely unaware that the dog leash was stretching across the path until colliding with it.

“The friction of the moving cord cut through my clothing and the cord jumped to my face causing the injuries shown. The dog's owner was also injured by the leash.”

Craig Ross is the son-in-law of the dog walker and said that she had to go to hospital herself after the incident.

He said: “She had to go to hospital to have her injuries treated. She has got numerous scars to her face and her forehead, a broken nose, bruised eyes and her lip was cut open. They reckon she has a fractured hip.”

Mr Perkins said that owners have to keep their dogs under control at all times and he does not believe this is possible using an extended lead.

He sent the letter to Lewisham and Greenwich councils, the Mayor’s office and to ask them to highlight the “dangers”.

His letter continued: “Given the rising number of cyclists in London, and the London Mayor’s efforts to promote cycling as a safe, sustainable form of transport, I would appreciate if you could draw attention to the serious hazards of dog walkers using long retractable leashes near to paths across the borough’s green spaces.

“I am likely not the first cyclist that has been involved in such an incident and fear I will not be the last.

“While I realise that the borough’s green spaces must be shared by many users, my understanding is that dog owners are legally obliged to keep their dogs under control at all times in public, something which is effectively impossible with the use of these types of leads.”

Upon seeing his letter in News Shopper, Mr Ross got in touch with our reporter to explain the other side of the story.

He said his mother-in-law didn’t want to share pictures of her injuries but that she was “distraught” from the incident.

He said: “The cyclist came at high speed out of nowhere and collided with her. It was only when our daughter shouted stop because he was dragging the dog along with the bike.

“There were four people on this path and two dogs, of course he must have seen them. If he sustained those sort of injuries it shows how fast he must have been going.”