Police appeal over cyclist death

Mr Little was a keen cyclist often seen on his bike around North Fife

Police investigating the death of a cyclist are appealing for witnesses who may have seen him knocked off his bike to come forward.

Retired farmer Frank Little, 81, was a keen cyclist who was regularly seen travelling around the North Fife area.

The widower and father-of-four was involved in an accident near the village of Dairsie on Wednesday, 18 June, as he cycled home from St Andrews.

Mr Little, originally from Newport-on-Tay, suffered serious head injuries and passed away at Dundee's Ninewells Hospital on Tuesday, 24 June.

Fife Police are anxious to trace a car and caravan believed to have overtaken Mr Little and also the driver of a white Ford Transit van who stopped at the scene and provided him with a first aid kit.

Head injury

Inspector Bruce Thomson, of Fife Constabulary's road policing department, said: "As Mr Little headed out along the A91, just past the Dairsie Inn, we know he fell off his bike and suffered a serious head injury, but we are still piecing together the circumstances which led up to this.

"We believe that Mr Little was overtaken by a car and caravan, but what happened next is still unclear.

Police have issued a CCTV image of the caravan they hope to trace

"It is possible that he was struck by these vehicles as they passed, he could have been blown off his bike, or indeed he could have struck the kerb and tipped over.

"Sadly, however, he has now died as a result of the injuries he sustained and clearly we want to establish exactly what did take place."

He added: "It could be that the car driver is unaware of anything untoward happening while it is equally possible that they simply failed to stop. "

The car is thought to be a dark saloon, possibly a Peugeot 406 or Citroen Xantia, while the caravan is single-axled, white or cream with a dark panel stretching across the rear between the tail lights.

Police believe the caravan is not displaying a registration plate in the usual place, but has a homemade plate in the base of the rear window.