MORE young cyclists than ever will be able to take advantage of safety training after a £180,000 government grant for children in Bucks.

The Bikeability scheme will be offered to 4500 youngsters across the county, almost twice as many as last year.

Any school or youth group in Bucks can to apply to Bucks County Council for funding.

BCC then pays for professional instructors to train children in school years five to nine.

On-the-road training is in small groups, and includes experience dealing with traffic on short journeys, such as cycling to school, being clear with hand signals, turning at junctions, and identifying and dealing with hazards.

Janet Blake, Cabinet Member for Planning and Transport said: "It's really important to give our young people the skills and confidence to ride safely on today's roads - and to make it fun!"

The £180,000 grant has been made available to BCC by the Department for Transport.

In the past year more than 130 schools and groups have run Bikeability sessions.

Schools and groups can apply for funding at http://tinyurl.com/ph68l5a