Hundreds of Critical Mass cyclists flood Sadiq Khan's car-free Oxford Street in defiance of the new bike ban

Roughly 600 participants in London's monthly Critical Mass ride covered the 1km stretch between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch at around 10.30pm on Friday, just days after the pedestrianisation scheme launched a prohibition on bikes alongside cars, taxis and buses. Organisers said cyclists passed through barriers without any interference from security staff. Campaigners called Khan's scheme a "missed opportunity" for failing to provide safe cycling routes through central London.

The turnout featured an eclectic mix of machines — vintage penny-farthings, cargo bikes, accessibility bikes and wheelchairs among them — with battery-powered sound systems on trailers providing a musical backdrop.

One rider described the event as "a peaceful demonstration of the continuing demand for safe, direct cycling access through central London."

A week after its launch, the car-free zone has also drawn criticism over the number of cyclists disregarding the ban on a daily basis.