A VICTORIAN prison has proved the perfect home for a bike bank, where dozens of bicycles are now locked up.

The Coast and Dale Bike Library has been running for just over a year and had been looking for new premises when Scarborough Council stepped in and offered a two-year lease on the prison.

Built in 1866, the Grade II-listed premises only for 12 years before it closed, and since then has rarely been used.

Little has changed inside since it was used as a prison in the 1800s.

The bike library allows people of all ages to borrow a bike for free, including adapted bikes.

Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “The coast and dale bike library has been such a success and provides an invaluable service to its community, so I’m really pleased it’s found a new home.

“And what a fantastic new home it is – not many people will have seen inside the Scarborough Prison before, so visiting the bike library will be a great experience for two reasons: they can borrow a bicycle for free and also see inside a time-capsule.”

Helen Page, group innovation and marketing director at Yorkshire Bank, said: "Watching the Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries grow from strength to strength is fantastic. Giving more children an opportunity to have access to a bike is one of the main reasons to support this brilliant initiative. It’s something we are passionate about.”

Cllr Derek Bastiman, leader of Scarborough Council, said providing cycling facilities along the Yorkshire Coast was essential to the council’s aim of supporting health and wellbeing within the borough.

The Yorkshire Bank Bike Library scheme was launched as a legacy of the Tour de France and Tour de Yorkshire.

Anyone can donate a bike to the scheme. There are 58 bike banks across Yorkshire. For more information visit; bikelibraries.yorkshire.com

Once donated, the bikes are then fixed up and made available to hire for free.