A BURY woman who left her car at home for a month has been rewarded for her pedalling prowess.

Jean Hewitson rode from her Bolton home to her job at the Benefit Agency offices in Bury for 17 days, clocking up 168 miles.

Her efforts were part of The Bury Commuter Challenge, staged in June to promote the benefits of cycling to work. And they have earned her a £30 gift voucher from Pilkington's cycle shop, which was presented to her at Castle Leisure Centre, Bury, last week.

Chris Robinson notched up 242 miles in 18 days, travelling to work at Flexsys UK, Silver Street, Bury from his home in Rochdale. He received a trophy for accumulating the highest number of miles on his bike during June, as well as a £40 Pilkington's gift voucher. He has since emigrated to the USA.

The challenge was set by event organisers Healthstart on behalf of Bury Metro, and was part of the 'Bike It In Bury' campaign aimed at encouraging cycling as a means of transport as well as for leisure.

A rallying call had gone out to employers in Bury to encourage their staff to cycle in to work.

Chris Wilkinson, from Bury Metro's planning department, said: "Chris and Jean have proved that cycling is an efficient and accessible form of transport and we congratulate them on their success."