It Is with Deep Regret and a Sense of Sadness That I Have to Inform You That I Can No Longer

From Stephen Edwards, KillSpills Founder and Team Leader

10 February 2011

KillSpills – The Final Chapter

It is with deep regret and a sense of sadness that I have to inform you that I can no longer lead the KillSpills campaign. The increased pressure of work coupled with caring for my mum means that unfortunately something has to give, and that something has to be KillSpills.

We have over the past seven and a half years achieved so much; you probably know many of our achievements so I'm not going into detail here, but our last hurdle, the Local Transport Notice (LTN) is just out of our reach. In the past we have been able to rely on the DfT and the Highways Agency going that extra mile to support us, however given the current economic climate, they cannot provide that support now.

We do not have the expertise in house to deliver a LTN, neither does the BMF nor the IAM. We would need to buy in an external consultant, and again the current economic climate is against us.

If the Team and I were able to devote the time to KillSpills that we have all done in the past, then this would not be an insurmountable problem for we have all worked very hard over the past seven and a half years and our commitment to the campaign has been unquestionable. However we all find ourselves facing different pressures in life and that mean that none of us can devote the time needed to the campaign.

So I am sorry to say that we have reached the end of the road, the journey has been significantly longer than I first envisaged (I originally thought it would only be a petition!) but the campaign evolved into organising the largest ever motorcycle rally to Parliament; a 120 mile police escorted trip from Downing Street to Donington Park; a Guinness World record and more importantly, we brought the danger of diesel spills to the public’s attention, obtained all party support for our campaign and achieved a change to the Highway Code.

I would like to thank everyone for your support over the years, especially our Marshals, the BMF and IAM for their continued sponsorship and in particular Jeff Stone of the BMF and Dave Shenton of IAM. Fast Bikes magazine editor Richard Newland provided much needed publicity for the campaign, as did Motorcycle Monthly and Fuel Oil News. Sergeant Paul Mostyn from the Metropolitan Police has been an inspiration throughout and his Bikesafe London Team ensured we all had a safe passage through London. I would also like to thank Stuart Lovett from the Highways Agency, Steve Sopp and the team from the DfT, the All Party Parliamentary Group for Motorcycling, Craig and Barbara from the Motorcycle Industry Association and Asda, Sainsburys and Truck Protect Limited who, a long with the Highways Agency and the DfT, were all winners of a KillSpills Award for Achievement in Reducing Diesel Spills.

For those involved, you know what we have all achieved, and I am very proud to have worked with you all.

Best wishes and ride safe,

Steve, Ash, Neil and Jo

The KillSpills Team