EVERY child in Middlesbrough will have access to a bike, thanks to a pioneering scheme.

On Wednesday, two branches of the Yorkshire Bank Bike Library opened in Middlesbrough.

The libraries will offer free loans to children and families who do not have access to bikes, as well as guided rides and support in schools.

Students from the TTE Technical Training Group work with the library to restore and repair donated bikes.

Mechanical engineering student Connor Stephenson, 16, said: “It’s a great idea and good to be able to put bikes back together for people who are not as fortunate to use.”

The project was launched in a bid to continue the legacy of Tour de Yorkshire and is run in collaboration with Welcome to Yorkshire’s cycling initiative, Cycle Yorkshire.

It was officially launched today by Tony Parkinson, Chief Executive of Middlesbrough Council, Mayor David Budd and Councillor Lewis Young, the Council’s Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport.

Cllr Young said: “Cycling’s a big part of life in Middlesbrough, and our hosting of the Tour de Yorkshire earlier in the year showed just how popular the bike is with local people.”

The bike libraries are based at Middlesbrough Cycle Centre, the town’s bus station and at Middlesbrough Environment City. For more information visit www.bikelibraries.yorkshire.com