BEAT officers got out of their cars and on to mountain bikes yesterday to launch a new scheme that will bring police closer to their communities.

Community Inspector George Ledger and Sergeant Steve Donnelly brought the bikes out from Stanhope police station, in Weardale, County Durham, as the county trials a scheme where officers use bikes rather than cars to do their rounds.

A grant of £5,000 from the Crime and Disorder Reduction partnership has been spent training officers on the six bikes that will cover Weardale and on uniforms consisting of combat-style trousers, trainers, and windproof jackets and under-jackets.

The scheme will last a year, but Insp Ledger already anticipates it will be a success.

He said: "This is a trial for the rest of the county, but other areas are already trying to come on board because it has so much support and we are sure it will work.

"We are giving the community what it wants, which is to be able to call out to our officers and talk to them."

The mountain bikes, specially designed to be distinguishable as police property with a black and blue frame and marked 'Police' have been introduced so members of the community can hail officers to speak to them when they need to.

The bikes will also be used to cover a greater area of Weardale, including country lanes that were previously difficult to access.

Insp Ledger said: "We have the coast-to-coast cycle race coming through here and we also have the Weardale Challenge of 55 miles and much of that is off-road.

"The bikes will enable police to get closer to what is happening on and off the roads."

Officers will still carry all the necessary equipment, such as radios and handcuffs, while on the bikes.