THE men and women responsible for encouraging more cycling in the borough have been urged to get on their bikes.

Bury Council staff are hoping to start a chain reaction by setting up their own "Office Bike" scheme.

The local authority has bought two cycles which can be used by certain council employees to carry out their daytime work duties through pedal power.

Councillor Wayne Campbell, chairman of environment and transport, said: "Staff in the department have primarily been responsible for the introduction of cycle lanes across the borough and for establishing off-road cycle paths.

"Several members of staff are keen cyclists and while it may be impractical for them to ride to and from work, there is no reason why they cannot make short journeys throughout the day by bike."

The bikes are kept in the basement and any member of the department's staff can borrow them, although they may have to be booked if demand is high.

"We have encouraged cycle riding in recent years and to get our staff onto bikes is no bad thing," said Coun Campbell. "It will cut down on the number of vehicles on our roads and provide a healthy travel alternative for employees."