A YOUNG cyclist was left in tears after two police officers fined her $70 because the strap on her fastened helmet wasn’t tight enough.

The university student was confronted on a Carlton North bike path at about 7.30pm last night by the highway patrol members who were stopping cyclists on the popular peak-hour route.

Resident Max Ryan witnessed the girl being spoken to on Ride2Work Day before phoning police to complain of her treatment.

He told the Herald Sun he also saw a male rider who wasn’t wearing a helmet let go with a warning.

“I felt really awful for her.

“I totally understand if somebody is not doing the right thing, but it’s such a subjective argument to understand how tight a helmet should be. Are police going to be sticking two fingers in between the strap and their chin?” Mr Ryan said.

He said the woman had been cycling through a park near the corner of Park and Lygon St when she was stopped.

A Victoria Police spokesman confirmed cyclists could be fined if their clipped on helmets were too loosely fastened.

Police Commissioner Graham Ashton took to radio this morning to defend the officers’ actions.

“It’s something that on the surface can appear to be overkill but if you’re not there it’s hard to second-guess sometimes,” he told ABC radio.

“Normally that’s the sort of thing where a caution would apply, but in this case the members thought it best to go down the infringement path.”

angus.thompson@news.com.au