AFTER the Tour de France there was the Tour de Yorkshire followed by the Tour de Hemlington which has now been hailed as a major success by organisers.

The community cycle ride followed a number of fun events in the Middlesbrough suburb from Sunday, May 1 to Sunday, May 8.

Middlesbrough councillors Jeanette Walker and Nicky Walker, who organised Tour de Hemlington alongside Hemlington Linx, issued a joint comment. They said: “Overall the event was a great success, and really did bring the whole community together. The bike ride, fun run, and community stroll in particular went down very well, and everyone seemed to enjoy the day.”

The free event took place in and around Hemlington Recreation Centre, and included a wide selection of activities, including organised bike rides, a 5km fun run, a community stroll, a “bike doctor” surgery, and a youth disco.

Housing company Taylor Wimpey donated £1,000 to the event. Debbie Whittingham, sales and marketing director at Taylor Wimpey North Yorkshire, said: “Tour de Hemlington was a great initiative, and it was lovely to see the whole community come together for a week of fun activities.

“All parties put a lot of effort into organising everything in the months leading up to the event, so it’s good to see everybody’s hard work really did pay off.”

Taylor Wimpey is currently building homes at a number of developments across Middlesbrough, including at Rose Cottage Farm in Stainton, and Acklam Hall on Hall Drive.