A driver who was accused of ramming the push bike of an off-duty policeman in Harpenden was today cleared of dangerous driving.

Guy Cozon, 34, denied deliberately driving his Mazda MX5 over the front wheel of Stephen Hynes' bike in Marquis Lane during a three day trial at St Albans crown court.

The jury of five men and seven women heard it was 8pm when local resident Mr Hynes was riding his bike along the road, which is a dead end.

He heard Mr Cozon's car coming from the dead end at speed. It screeched to a halt close to stables near a railway bridge.

Mr Hynes, who had a powerful lamp on the front of his bike, went over to the car that had pulled into a driveway and told Mr Cozon: "Wind your window down. What are you doing? Why are you speeding?"

There was a confrontation and Mr Cozon drove off after the off duty officer had grabbed his shirt.

He was arrested two days later after Mr Hynes had recalled some of the car's registration plate. In an interview he told officers he had suffered a puncture and had replaced a tyre. He said he had gone to the quiet lane to test the grip on the new tyre when he had encountered the cyclist.

Mr Cozon agreed there had been shouting and said that the cyclist had moved his bike in front of the car. He said he told him: "Just move your bike and let me go."

At most, the bike was touched by the bonnet of his car before the cyclist had grabbed his shirt and ripped it, he said.

Cozon, of Salisbury Road, Harpenden, denied dangerous driving on Thursday, September 19, 2013 and was cleared.