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A cyclist wearing a helmet and high-visibility vest was crushed to death by a 40-tonne tipper truck in the third fatality on London’s roads in just four days.

The victim in his 30s was dragged at least 20 yards beneath the lorry’s wheels before the driver was alerted by oncoming motorists to the mountain bike tangled in his front wheel, witnesses said.

A passing bus driver pulled up and attempted to save the man but when paramedics arrived in London’s Docklands at 1.30pm yesterday he was pronounced dead.

Scotland Yard said the lorry driver stopped at the scene and was not arrested.

The latest tragedy came at the end one of the bloodiest weeks on the capital’s roads and has led to fresh calls for action and investment to protect cyclists.

It happened as the lorry, from Orpington-based Primagrange, turned left from an industrial onto North Woolwich Road, near Silvertown West DLR station.

A worker at a building supply shop next to the junction was alerted to the fatal collision by shouts for help.

He said: “I ran over and people were standing around him. It looked as if he was killed instantly, he wasn’t moving at all or making any noise.

“He was lying face down wearing a helmet and high-vis jacket in a pool of blood.

“There was one guy from the ambulance station with him but he wasn’t resuscitating him or speaking to him. I didn’t want to look.”

Thousands of cycle campaigners are expected to join a “die-in” outside the Treasury in Whitehall at 2pm on Saturday for a protest organised by Stop Killing Cyclists.

Organiser Caspar Hughes said: “The same problems have been repeated for years and although the mayor has increased spending it’s still nowhere near enough.

“Three people have been killed in London have taken it up to twelve nationally this year. One fatality is too many.”

Sadiq Khan has pledged to spend £770million on cycling initiatives during his four-year term.

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “Sadiq was saddened to learn of the tragic deaths on London’s roads this week. His thoughts are with their families and friends.

“He is determined to make cycling safer and easier for all Londoners.

“That’s why he’s allocated more investment in cycling than ever before and has appointed the capital’s first ever full-time Walking and Cycling Commissioner to drive forward improvements.”

Simon Munk of the London Cycling Campaign said: “It’s such a large, tragic waste of life in such quick succession.”

Architect Karla Roman, 32, was killed in a crash with a coach on a cycle superhighway in Whitechapel at 9am on Monday.

Seven hours earlier newlywed Anita Szucs, 30, died after a suspected hit and run crash in Edmonton.

Leon Daniels, TfL’s Managing Director of Surface Transport, said: “Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who have tragically lost their lives on London’s roads this week.

“Any death or serious injury on our roads is one too many, and our priority is to eradicate them.

“We’re investing in safer cycle lanes and junctions, working with London boroughs to introduce more 20mph limits, looking to remove the most dangerous HGV from the capital’s roads by 2020 and continuing our road safety education and enforcement programmes.”

Protesters are meeting outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square at 1pm tomorrow and marching to HM Treasury for a rally at 2pm.