Fresh appeal over cyclist death

Carl Crowder, who died in July, was a father of four

Police have made a fresh appeal for information on the death of a cyclist after an inquest into his death recorded an open verdict.

Carl Conrad Crowder died after his bike was in a collision with a people carrier on the A217 at Banstead in Surrey on 24 July.

The driver of the dark blue car left the scene without giving his details and has never been found.

Police think they have narrowed their search for the car down to two makes of vehicle, and have contacted nearly 1,000 drivers without finding the car involved.

After an inquest at Woking Coroner's Court on Tuesday recorded an open verdict Surrey Police said "a case like this is never closed".

Someone must know who did it, and I would appeal to them to relieve Carl's family of this extra burden by coming forward Sergeant Ray Sharp

Mr Crowder, a father of four from Chipstead in Surrey, was travelling south on the A217 towards the Banstead crossroads at about 2100 BST on 24 July, a Wednesday when the collision happened.

He had three children from his marriage, a daughter of 18 and sons aged 17 and 12 and a seven-year-old son from a long-term relationship after his marriage ended.

Sergeant Ray Sharp from Surrey Police's Collision Investigation Unit, said: "A thorough and exhaustive investigation has been carried out to try and find the driver of the people carrier but to no avail.

"We carried out roadside checks exactly four weeks after the death, stopping more than 600 cars on the A217 and handing out more than 400 leaflets.

Police have issued this picture of the sort of car involved in the crash

"We know from piecing together fragments of broken headlight left at the scene that the car must have been a Volkswagen Sharan or a Seat Alhambra, and we have traced and checked nearly a thousand similar vehicles, but with no result.

"The car we are looking for was going south from Sutton.

"The driver of the car, described only as a white man, stopped and looked, but then left the scene without giving any details.

"We are keeping an open mind about what happened, but we do need to speak to the driver and hear his side of the story.

"Someone must know who did it, and I would appeal to them to relieve Carl's family of this extra burden by coming forward.

"A case like this is never closed and if we have any new information it will be thoroughly investigated."