Cyclists are allowed on the canal path. The cyclist in question may well have been cycling irresponsibly but that doesn't mean he or she shouldn't have been there.

As for pavement cyclists, as many others have already pointed out, the cyclists who take to the pavement at speed will undoubtedly be the ones who will drive irresponsibly when they get their licences (the culprits are almost overwhelmingly teenage boys). I can assure you though, no sensible cyclists wants a collision with anyone, pedestrain or otherwise as it hurts us too!

And as Michael said, it is unfair to tar all cyclists with the same brush. I obey the rules of the road, I cycle on the road and don't run red lights, and yes, I let pedestrians cross at zebra crossings (because that is what I am supposed to do).

As more and more people take to their bikes in London, experienced cyclists have a responsibility to set a good example to new road users by obeying traffic laws - from my perspective, Boris bike users in Central london are the worst offenders and I'm astonished that we haven't seen an increase in casualties as a result (but maybe the statistics aren't in yet)