Police in Leicestershire have arrested a man in connection with four separate incidents in the county last month in which cyclists were either forced off the road or pushed from their bikes by the occupants of a vehicle described as an old, silver BMW.

The incidents all took place in or around Hinckley in the south west of the county between 4 July and 14 July.

In the first, which took place in Earl Shilton, 49-year-old former international cyclist Martin Webster sustained cuts and bruises, reports the Leicester Mercury.

Two days later, on 6 July, Andy Limb, aged 55, suffered a broken collarbone after a motorist ran him off the road in Croft, the rider ending up in a ditch.

"I'm still in a sling and won't be back at work for another five weeks,” said Mr Limb, who works as a lorry driver.

"The cycling community is very wary at the moment," he added.

The next cyclist to be targeted was 48-year-old Colin Haynes, the incident taking place in Broughton Astley, with the rider reporting that a vehicle occupant had pushed him from his bike.

In the final reported incident, which took place in Hinckley itself on 14 July, the victim was a 51-year-old male who asked for his identity not to be disclosed, and who was left with a gash on his head.

The man arrested in connection with all four assaults has been released on police bail, reports the newspaper.

Earlier this week, we reported on another similar incident that took place close to Nuneaton, just across the border with Warwickshire.

The officer investigating that case for Warwickshire Police subsequently told road.cc that they did not believe it was linked to the incidents in Leicestershire.

Referring to the assault in Warwickshire, which left a cyclist with a broken arm and head injuries, a spokesperson for Leicestershire Police told the Leicester Mercury: "We were notified by Warwickshire police and we have been liaising with them, but it's too early to tell whether this incident is linked to the attacks in Leicestershire."