Teenage girls will be targeted in a campaign to encourage school pupils to get on their bikes.

The Bike It project, run nationally by sustainable transport charity Sustrans, was introduced in Ashford in March.

Bike It officer Simon Allum has been working with 12 schools in the borough to encourage more children to cycle to school but has discovered girls are far more reluctant than boys to get on their bikes.

Mr Allum visited Highworth Girls' Grammar School to offer a Dr Bike maintenance session with a local mechanic to check their bikes are road worthy and in good condition.

He has also been visiting Oaktree, Norton Knatchbull and St Simon of England schools in the area.

“Highworth have started a bike club on a Thursday lunchtime,” said Mr Allum.

“The girls come up with suggestions as to how to get fellow pupils to ride to school.”

Mr Allum said a Body and Bike campaign had taken place in Exeter in conjunction with the Bodyshop, with the aim of showing girls how they can look good on a bike, and how cycling is good for their bodies.

There are plans to extend the project to Ashford after Christmas.

“It’s to show them how to ride to school and still be glamorous,” said Mr Allum.

“There’s quite a big disparity between boys and girls in cycling numbers, especially at secondary school.

“We get about 30 bikes at a session at Highworth, and at Norton Knatchbull it would be 130.”

Gemma Carter, teacher at The Towers and one of the top female mountain bikers in the country, will help run the Body and Bike project at schools in Ashford.