A BATON was passed between two local primary schools as a Yorkshire-wide cycling relay came to the district.

Seventy two children from 12 schools across Bradford are taking part in the relay as part of National Bike Week.

These schools will cover 35 miles of the 245-mile Schools’ Yorkshire Tour relay, and yesterday saw pupils from Yeadon Primary School passing the baton to children from Baildon CofE Primary School outside the iconic Woolpack Inn in Esholt.

It has already been passed along schools in Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster, York, North Yorkshire and Leeds since the relay started on June 12.

The event has been organised by the ten Yorkshire local authorities in partnership with Sustrans and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

It will pass through other towns in the district today.

The route will use cycle lanes and numerous off-road cycleways as much as possible. A number of famous landmarks will form the backdrop to the baton handovers.

After Bingley CofE pupils took on the baton, it was passed to Byron Primary School in Barkerend for pupils from the school to start Stage 12 of the relay this morning, when pupils will cycle down the Leeds Bradford Cycle Superhighway passing the baton to pupils from Rainbow Primary School in City Park.

The next stop will be the Canal Road Greenway where pupils from Sandal Primary School, Baildon will take the baton along the Greenway to Salts Mill before handing it to children from Wycliffe CofE Primary School.

The baton will then be taken along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and be passed to children from Riddlesden St Mary’s at Bingley’s Five Rise Locks. They will cycle along the canal to their school, where they will be met by pupils from Eastwood Community School, Keighley. It then changes hands of pupils of Parkwood Primary and Worth Valley Primary in Keighley and Oakworth Primary, before being taken to Haworth where Haworth Primary and Lees Primary pupils will tackle Haworth Main Street.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive for Environment, Sport and Culture, said: “There is a real passion for cycling in Bradford at the moment and I’m sure the children taking part in this event will have a great time, cycling with their friends and also meeting children from other schools.”