A veteran cyclist who has pedalled 250,000 miles is seeing red after being handed a £300 court bill for crossing the line for his own safety at a junction in Farnham.

John Frank was on a ride to Godalming when he decided to get ahead of the traffic on The Borough.

The 75-year-old weaved through stationary traffic and waited at the front of the queue while the light was red to make his journey on South Street a bit safer.

But venturing a couple of feet beyond the white line earned him a fixed penalty notice while his appeals for leniency from magistrates were dismissed, leaving him with a final bill six times the original £50 charge.

He said: “I was genuinely under the impression I had been pulled over for a red light offence but after having a long discussion I still didn’t know what the ticket was for.

“He suggested that if I wanted to turn right onto South Street that I should have waited by the right hand kerb and then move into the middle. I suggested to him he knew nothing about cycling.

He added: “I honestly just got into a safe place – I didn’t know what I had done wrong.”

Mr Frank decided to appeal the offence by requesting a magistrates court hearing. In asking for leniency he called the charge “trivial and wrong-headed” while denying claims he had gone through a red light.

He wrote: “The officer claimed I had gone over a line, but I have no idea whether I did or not.

“What I do know, however, is that I neither endangered nor inconvenienced any pedestrian or other road user.

“I was following best practice for cyclists at traffic lights, which is to take up a position in front of the cars.”

Surrey Police said the case was reviewed ahead of the court hearing with full statements being obtained from officers involved.

Mr Frank, perhaps browbeaten by the experience, submitted a postal plea of Guilty after being sent a Single Justice Procedure Notice with his case being considered by a magistrate and legal advisor.

Unfortunately, going through the courts didn’t work in Mr Frank’s favour, with the cyclist being fined £128 and ordered to pay standard costs and charges of £171.

Mr Frank said: “I would have thought any magistrates would see a man on a bike in the middle is a challenge to safety, but what do I know?

“The thing is, I stayed there at the junction afterwards and saw three cars go through the red light and three go over the white line,” he added, with one car and bus both encroaching the white line while talking to the Herald.

A spokesperson for Surrey Police added: “The officer explained that the cyclist had cut up through the middle of the traffic and crossed the stop line while the lights were red, then start off prior to the lights changing to green and turn right into South Street.

“The fixed penalty notice for this offence is set nationally at £50 and Mr Frank would have been provided with a printout at the roadside informing him how to pay this sum or to request a court hearing if he did not agree with the allegation.

“The final financial penalty is obviously greater than it was at the initial point the FPN was issued, but there are often additional costs if a court hearing is requested – for example, all offences must have a victim surcharge applied – and individuals are warned of this on all paperwork.”