Bush 'waving when fell off bike'

President Bush is a keen cyclist who has taken a few tumbles

US President George W Bush was waving to police when he fell off his bike at the G8 summit in Scotland last July, newly published police papers reveal.

Mr Bush was shouting "Thanks, you guys, for coming" when he lost control and collided with an officer, the documents obtained by Scotland on Sunday show.

The smash left Mr Bush with scrapes on his hands and arms, and the policeman needing crutches for an ankle injury.

At the time, Mr Bush laughed off the crash as a sign "I should act my age".

The police report confirms that Mr Bush later telephoned the injured policeman to ask how he was and to apologise.

The cause of the officer's injury was officially recorded as being "hit by a moving/falling object".

One hand

The report details how the police unit, dressed in riot gear, was guarding a road outside the Gleneagles Hotel when Mr Bush cycled up on a damp road.

"As the president passed the junction at speed he raised his left arm from the handlebars to wave to the police officers present while shouting 'Thanks, you guys, for coming'.

"As he did this he lost control of the cycle, falling to the ground, causing both himself and his bicycle to strike [the officer] on the lower legs," it says.

The White House made no comment on the report.

Mr Bush's usual cycling trails are near his ranch in Crawford, Texas, and near a Secret Service training facility at Beltsville, Maryland.