Twenty bikes, made by Ultra Motor, have been spread around each of Salford’s neighbourhood policing teams.

The bikes are powered by pedalling and battery power with a top speed of 15.5mph.

Sergeant Gary Stuart from Salford South’s neighbourhood policing team came up with the idea after using the bikes while working for the police in Australia.

He said: “The bikes are robust, environmentally friendly and put officers into the heart of the communities that they serve, making them more accessible and visible.

“While police cars help officers cover a greater area, we have found that residents are more likely to stop and chat to officers on bikes. I know that by putting more officers out on these bikes we will be able to engage with more members of the community.

“The bikes are also perfect for responding to incidents quickly or accessing areas that cars can’t, such as back alleyways, and of course they are quiet which helps us catch criminals.”

The division will be trialling the bikes for six months and if successful the initiative could be rolled out to other areas of the force.

Luke Walsh

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