THEY are the zippy delivery cyclists who bring piping hot food to people’s doors.

Yet according to some residents in a Hampshire city, Deliveroo cyclists are annoying drivers and pedestrians alike with their antics on the road and pavements.

Now police say they are cracking down on rogue Deliveroo cyclists and motorcyclists in Winchester who fail to obey the rules of the road.

At a Police and Communities Together (PACT) meeting it was heard that Deliveroo workers have caused problems in Winchester with “dangerous” cycling and driving.

The nationwide company delivers restaurant food and launched in Winchester last year. Since then they have been a common sight on city roads.

PCSOs at the meeting told residents that they will launch an operation to speak to Deliveroo cyclists to ensure they have the right documents and are obeying traffic regulations.

PCSO Neil Parker told the meeting: “We have had so many complaints about these people as well, we have given out tickets for people cycling on footpaths.”

One resident cited an incident in which a Deliveroo cyclist rode the wrong direction up a one-way road.

Earlier this year, Winchester resident Simon Jones was left with a bill of more than £700 after his car was hit by Deliveroo cyclists.

Mr Jones, of Kingsgate Road, said he had contacted the company five times since the incident, but has received no further explanation.

He said: “It’s only a matter of time before there is a serious accident.

“They need to start taking some ethical responsibility rather than treating it as a money-making operation.”

He added that the staff who wait for delivery jobs on Staple Gardens and Jewry Street use the street to ride motorbikes at speed during the day and perform dangerous cycling tricks, even with pedestrians around.

A Deliveroo spokesperson said that the firm takes road safety very seriously and that it has a “zero tolerance” approach to any rider who breaks the law:

“Road safety is of utmost importance to us and we operate a zero tolerance policy towards anyone found to have broken the law while working with Deliveroo,” the spokesperson said.

“As part of our commitment to road safety, every rider completes an introductory road safety programme, in which we provide guidance aligned with the highway code, before they can work with us.

“We have also made helmets and lights available to all riders free of charge, and worked with experts at Brake to design a new hyper-reflective rider kit which maximises their visibility.”

Deliveroo did not respond to a query from the Echo relating to Mr Jones’s concerns.

A spokesperson for Hampshire police said: “Our officers do speak to their cyclists when necessary.

“We will continue to enforce breaches of traffic regulations and deal with any vehicles being used without the correct documents.”