Traffic police have appealed for witnesses after a female cyclist riding a ‘Boris Bike’ died in a collision with a lorry in Whitechapel yesterday (Friday) evening.

The 20-year-old cyclist was fatally injured at 6.20pm outside Aldgate East Tube station at the junction of Whitechapel High Street and Commercial Road.She was taken by ambulance to the nearby Royal London Hospital, but pronounced dead on arrival.

She had been riding a Barclays Cycle Hire Bike, nicknamed ‘Boris Bikes’ after London Mayor Boris Johnson.

She had been travelling along the Barclays Cycle 2 superhighway, a blue painted route on the roadway designed to make it safer for cyclists, which currently runs between Bow and Aldgate.

Her next of kin have still to be informed. A post mortem is to be held in due course.

The lorry driver stopped at the scene. He was not arrested.

Transport for London say it is the first fatality involving a ‘Boris Bike’ since they were introduced in 2010.

A TFL spokesman said their thoughts were with family and friends of the cyclist and they would be assisting the Metropolitan Police with their investigation into the tragic incident.

The Met’s Investigation Unit at Chadwell Heath Traffic Garage are carrying out enquires into the circumstances of the collision.

Any witnesses are asked to call police on 0208 597 4874.