Giving officers the ability to travel further and quicker during their patrols, three town centre constables are now using pedal power to get around during their shifts after funding was used to provide the SNT with three new mountain bikes.

PC Paul Farthing (pictured centre with PC Richard Hale and PC Richard Allott) said: “These bikes will not replace our traditional foot patrols, but when using them, we can not only cover a wider area of Rotherham, but they help us carry out quick and efficient searches for offenders or missing persons.

“The bikes also increase our visibility as people notice us more cycling around the town in our bright jackets and we can access roads and areas police cars would have trouble getting to.”

The officers received training and were provided with the right clothing and equipment before setting off on they custom designed ‘police’ mountain bikes.

The Safer Neighbourhood Team is also hoping to secure funding for a fourth bike later this year.