MOTORISTS are being urged to ditch the car and embrace pedal power this week as part of National Bike Week.

People throughout the district are being encouraged to cycle to work in a drive to plug pedal-pushing transport as the green way forward.

Local bike groups, Lancaster City Council and a host of other organisations have got together to put the wheels of the national awareness campaign, running until Saturday, June 21, in motion.

One of their key aims is to get bosses to lead by example, with Lancaster City Council corporate director Peter Loker showing his staff how it is done.

To celebrate the longest day of the year, Lancaster City Council has organised a Summer Solstice Bike Ride from Bull Beck in Caton to the Stone Jetty in Morecambe to watch the sun set this Saturday (June 21).

The route will follow the cycle route through the Millennium Park, across the Millennium Bridge and down the Lancaster to Morecambe cycle/footpath.

Lancaster's Pedal Power have been holding bike inspections all week and will have a stand in Market Square, Lancaster, tomorrow (Friday) from 10am to provide information about their bike recycling scheme.

Keen cyclist Adrian Smith, a planner for environment at Lancashire County Council, hit the road on Monday to kick start the week-long promotion.

"I'm not Lycra Man or anything - I just use my bike to get around," he said.

"I started cycling to get fit, especially as I reached my 40s.

"But part of my work is about sustainable transport and I decided to practice what I preached.

"I didn't want to buy a second car so I bike to the train station and take the bike on public transport. I find I can get to work quicker than my colleagues who are often stuck in traffic jams!"