A SUMMER long campaign to get more people on their bikes will come to a creative end at this weekend’s Festival of Thrift.

Local Motion, Darlington’s sustainable transport team, has been running its Big Summer campaign across the borough to encourage residents to make the most of the outdoors.

The team has now joined forces with Middlesbrough-based design company, Twist Design, to create a piece of artwork to go on display at the Festival of Thrift.

Visitors to the Local Motion stand will be presented with the outline of a bicycle and asked to add a piece of string to make up the spokes on each wheel.

The colour of the string will depend on what form of transport that person uses to get to school or work.

It is hoped that not only will the bike make an attractive artwork, it will also present a colourful picture of how many people use sustainable transport to get around.

Cllr David Lyonette, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “The latest figures are showing a whopping 24 per cent increase in cyclists in the town and we’re hoping that keeps on growing.

“We’re looking forward to seeing our Big Summer culminate in a sea of colour and music at the Festival of Thrift.”

As well as the bicycle art, festival-goers will also have the chance to ride a ‘boogie bike’ – a bicycle that powers an MP3 player – and when certain travel-themed songs play, the person riding the bike at the time will receive a prize.

These include bike lights, locks, toolkits and sweatshirts and everybody who visits the stand will also have a chance to win a family ticket for four people for Darlington Civic Theatre’s festive panto, The Chuckles of Oz.

The Festival of Thrift runs from Saturday 27 to Sunday September 28, 10am to 5pm at Lingfield Point, Darlington.