The Ghost Bike of Notting Hill

In February 2009, Eilidh, Cairns was crushed under the wheels of a lorry that simply didn't see her. It was travelling at 8mph in Notting Hill. Eilidh, who was on her morning commute in rush-hour traffic, was dragged for more than three metres before the driver stopped.

A bicycle completely painted white and covered in flowers (A 'ghost bike') now commemorates Elidh's death.


Her death had a profound impact on her family, and spurred her sister Kate on to start a campaign to reduce the number of cyclist deaths on London's roads.

"For me it is a symbol of remembrance and respect for my sister. It is a symbol of heartbreak, of utter emptiness, of grief, of cruelty, of pointlessness, of pain and of waste. We want everyone to take notice. To keep this image in their minds as they rush to work. To remember that every act has a consequence, and nothing is worth this."

A ghost bike or ghost cycle is a bicycle set up as a roadside memorial in a place where a cyclist has been killed or severely injured (usually by a motor vehicle). Apart from being a memorial, it is usually intended as a reminder to passing motorists to share the road. Ghost bikes are usually junk bicycles painted white, sometimes with a placard attached, and locked to a suitable object close to the scene of the accident.

The Ghost Bike commemorating the death of Min Joo Lee.