A popular sandwich courier from Stepney became the 14th cyclist to fall victim to London’s roads this year after a collision with a lorry in Commercial Road.

Javed Sumbal, of Clearbrook Way, was cycling west along Commercial Road at rush hour on Thursday morning when the tragic collision happened. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The 34-year-old, who worked as a courier for Darwin’s Deli in Barnardo Street, Shadwell, has been described by colleagues as a “happy and friendly guy” who was “always smiling”.

Workmates have sprayed a bike white and covered it with floral tributes at the scene of the incident, near Arbour Square, Stepney.

The collision left Commercial Road closed for several hours on Thursday morning as police, paramedics and the London Air Ambulance attended.

A 62-year-old man who was driving the lorry was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, but has since been bailed until March 2013.

Mr Sumbal was the second cyclist to die on the roads of Tower Hamlets this year.

Jim Fitzpatrick, MP for Poplar and Limehouse, said: “This tragic death is another sad reminder of how much we still have to do to make our borough’s streets safer for cyclists.

“We cannot on the one hand encourage people to get on a bike and on the other leave them to cycle unsafe roads.”

However, Tower Hamlets council cabinet member Oli Rahman tweeted that he had “serious concerns” over cyclists not wearing safety equipment, and some who “think they own the roads”.