MORE than 1,000 bikes have been donated to a campaign backed by Otley Olympic cyclist Lizzie Armitstead.

The bicycles have been given to the Yorkshire Bank Bike Library project at collection points across the county, including BeCycling and Bradford Trident in the city.

The bikes have been repaired and reconditioned for use at a bike library, to help make sure all children across Yorkshire have access to a bicycle.

Now Yorkshire Bank and tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire has called for more individuals and businesses to volunteer to be a donation station.

Bike Libraries project manager Liz Tattersley said: "The reaction from the Yorkshire public has been absolutely fantastic and to have had a thousand bikes donated to the Bike Libraries initiative is a brilliant milestone.

"The scheme has been really well received by people right across the county and even beyond, but now it's a question of increasing capacity as we prepare to launch more Bike Libraries."

The Bike Libraries project is part of the legacy of the Tour de France's visit to the region last year.

The first Bike Library, at the Fearnville Centre in Leeds, opened last month.