A new bike hangar has been installed in Jericho to allow cyclists to lock their bikes securely on the road within highly populated residential areas.

Hangars have also been installed in North Oxford in Cranham Street, Great Clarendon Street and Nelson Street following a 28-day consultation run by Oxfordshire County Council.

Changes to some car parking bays and double yellow lines were required.

These locations were chosen because the area as a whole has seen a number of recorded bike thefts in recent years.

Many of the properties also have front doors that open directly onto the pavement, meaning most owners have to prop their bike up against the front wall which is not secure and can cause an obstruction on the pavement.

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The Cyclehoop Bikehangar units have been rigorously tested and have withstood five minutes of attack by security experts using hand tools and a power drill, and 90 seconds of attack with an angle grinder.

Residents will apply to the council to use a space and will pay an annual fee yet to be determined but the intention is that it should not be more expensive than the current cost of a residents parking permit (£65).

If necessary a waiting list system would operate for a space in the hangars, which can easily store six bikes within the space taken up by a small car.

As a famous cycling city, Oxford has historically suffered from higher levels of bike theft, said police.

From January to December 2022, 398 bikes were reported stolen from within the city.

Eight bike hangars were successfully installed in East Oxford in 2021 from the same Home Office Safer Streets Fund for measures that intended to cut crime and its impact on communities.

Oxford North Neighbourhood Sergeant Miriam Purple said: “We know that the theft of a bike can have a real impact on the victim, and cause great inconvenience to daily life.

"Installing these new secure bike parking facilities is just one of the many initiatives we have progressed as part of the Safer Streets scheme to tackle bike theft within the city.”

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for highway management, added: “Oxford has high levels of bike theft, so we are delighted to support Thames Valley Police in this project.

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"We are committed to making it easier for people to use active travel to move around the city, and having safe and secure storage will encourage more people to own and use a bike.”

Anthony Lau, founder and design director of Cyclehoop, said: “As a city that embraces cycling, it is essential to offer secure spaces for residents to store their bikes, particularly those people living in homes with limited storage.

"Hopefully the introduction of the Cyclehoop Rentals scheme will enable more people to adopt cycling as their main mode of transport.”