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Hundreds of activists gathered for a “die-in” protest following the deaths of three cyclists and two pedestrians in a week of carnage on London’s roads.

Cyclists descended on Whitehall on Saturday afternoon and marched to the Treasury for the “die-in” vigil to pay tribute to those killed in one of the bloodiest weeks on the capital’s roads.

High-spirited chants and the tinkling of bicycle bells rippled the crowd as the group made their way through the streets of central London after meeting in Trafalgar Square at about 1pm.

Campaign group Stop Killing Cyclists organised the “die-in” as part of a wider protest demanding that Chancellor Philip Hammond increases investment in the UK’s cycling and pedestrian infrastructure to 10 per cent of the transport budget.

After the vigil in which campaigners lay down their bikes and dropped onto the wet tarmac for a minute’s silence, organisers made a series of speeches before heartfelt tributes were read out for cyclist Ben Wales and Karla Roman, both 32, and Anita Szucs, 30, who were killed on London’s roads in the space of just four days.

Two pedestrians, a man and a woman who have not been identified, were also killed in separate crashes in Limehouse and Euston this week and were also remembered at the demonstration.

Activists held up signs which read: “Traffic stop killing with pollution” and “We are all canaries in London’s toxic air.”

Several people wore pictures of the victims pinned to their lapels.

Cyclist Roberto Sanchez, 52, told the Standard he chose to attend the protest after hearing of the three cyclists killed in London this week.

The nursery teacher, who rides to work from Mile End to central London each day, said: “This is the first time I have attended an event like this. I chose to come due to the tragic accidents this week.

“For me, I am here to raise awareness and to encourage drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to all come together to work to improve safety. It's so fragile on the roads here.

“It's improving but I don't feel 100 per cent safe. We need more cycle lanes.

“The new cycle lane from Aldgate East to Mile End has made a massive difference for me.

“I choose to cycle because it's so busy on the underground. It's much cheaper, easier and faster for me to cycle.”

Jillian Hartin, a nurse at UCLH who rides to work from Stoke Newington each day, told the Standard she felt compelled to attend the protest as her former colleague physiotherapist Vicki McCreery was killed cycling across Blackfriars Bridge in 2004.

She said: “Vicki was the first person I ever knew that was killed on a bike.

“The woman who was killed on the Cycle Superhighway this week, that was really shocking as you feel like you should be safe riding on there.

10by2020 protest outside the Treasury on February 11 9 show all 10by2020 protest outside the Treasury on February 11 1/9 Cyclists stage a protest and 'die in' outside the Treasury Rex Features 2/9 A 'die-in' vigil held outside the Treasury Stop Killing Cyclists 3/9 Cyclist Roberto Sanchez holds up a banner outside the Treasury 4/9 Children hold banners which read 'Taffic Stop Killing Our Cyclists' during a protest outside the Treasury 5/9 A woman wears a pollution mask at the 10by2020 protest urging the Government to invest more in walking and cycling infastructure 6/9 Activists listen to speeches at the 10by2020 protest 7/9 Cyclists protest through central London on air pollution PA 8/9 Cyclists protest through central London campaigning for safer roads in the capital PA 9/9 Riders wheel their bikes along Whitehall towards the Treasury PA 1/9 Cyclists stage a protest and 'die in' outside the Treasury Rex Features 2/9 A 'die-in' vigil held outside the Treasury Stop Killing Cyclists 3/9 Cyclist Roberto Sanchez holds up a banner outside the Treasury 4/9 Children hold banners which read 'Taffic Stop Killing Our Cyclists' during a protest outside the Treasury 5/9 A woman wears a pollution mask at the 10by2020 protest urging the Government to invest more in walking and cycling infastructure 6/9 Activists listen to speeches at the 10by2020 protest 7/9 Cyclists protest through central London on air pollution PA 8/9 Cyclists protest through central London campaigning for safer roads in the capital PA 9/9 Riders wheel their bikes along Whitehall towards the Treasury PA

Ms Hartin added: “One of the big things for me is the pollution. I was cycling down Charing Cross Road today and I could feel the diesel fumes in my throat.

“It's a cold and miserable day and I thought I could sit back and do nothing or I could come out and show my support like all these other people.”

Campaigner Nicola Branch, who read out the tributes, said: “Five sets of families and friends are grieving at the moment and these deaths could have been avoided if this government would just invest in infrastructure.

“This government needs to wake up and spend money on our infrastructure so that people stop being killed and so that families are not ripped apart by these awful incidents.”

Devoted father Mr Wales, who was wearing a helmet and a high-visibility vest, was crushed to death by a 40-tonne tipper truck in Docklands on Thursday afternoon.

Just three days earlier, cyclists Anita Szucs, 30, and Karla Roman, 32, were also killed in the space of just 24 hours in separate crashes in Enfield and Whitechapel on Monday.

A male pedestrian died after he was hit by a lorry in Commercial Road, near the junction with Caroline Street, in Limehouse on Monday morning.

On Friday morning, a woman aged in her 50s, was killed after she was struck by a lorry on Hampstead Road in Euston.

Many of the those attending the protest on Saturday wore gas masks as a symbol of their anger at the worsening air pollution crisis gripping the capital.

Co-founder of campaign group Stop Killing Cyclists Donnachadh McCarthy said: "They keep announcing breadcrumbs and they think we are fools.

"We have had enough of the breadcrumbs - we need real spending.

"We have had two tiny superhighways built, but they have been a huge success. They are the germs of a revolution which should spread all across London."

He told the crowd outside the Treasury building that they hoped the Government would match the proposed spending increase by 2020.

Stop Killing Cyclists spokesman Caspar Hughes said: "Air pollution is poisoning millions of people in the UK, whilst traffic carbon emissions are contributing to the climate emergency.

"Road danger means most people do not feel safe cycling on UK roads, which means they lack life-saving physical exercise."

Their warnings follow a renewed crackdown on dirty air from Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and on the day he issued another alert over air pollution.

Last month, he issued the first "very high" pollution alert for the capital, as swathes of the UK suffered from very high or high levels of pollutants known as particulate matter choking the air in the still, cold conditions.

Leon Daniels, Transport for London’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.”

The mayor said: “I was saddened to learn of the tragic deaths on London’s roads this week. My thoughts are with their families and friends at this difficult time.

“As Mayor, I’m determined to make cycling safer and easier for all Londoners. That’s why we’re addressing the most dangerous junctions, increasing the number of safer cycle lanes, working with boroughs to introduce more 20mph limits and removing the most dangerous lorries from our streets.

“I’ve allocated more investment for cycling than ever before and appointed the capital’s first ever full-time Walking and Cycling Commissioner to drive forward these improvements.”

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "Britain has some of the safest roads in the world but we are committed to reducing the number of cyclists killed and seriously injured.

"On top of a THINK! campaign to improve cycle safety we are spending £300 million on cycling funding in this Parliament and are also providing over £7 billion to improve the condition of our road surfaces to make them safer for all road users."