Oxford has been ranked second top local authority for cycling rates in the UK, new data shows.

The Active Lives Survey, which was compiled by the Department for Transport, reveals that 35 per cent of Oxford residents cycle once per week.

Cambridge was found to have the highest cycling rates with at least 50 per cent of people cycling at least once per week.

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In 2022, the proportion of adults in England reporting cycling at least once per week for any purpose remained similar to 2021, at 9 per cent.

At the other end of the spectrum, those in Oldham were found to be cycling the least, at just 3 per cent.

Provisional data from the Department for Transport – taken from traffic counts – shows 5 per cent fewer bikes on the road in June 2023 than a year before.

According to the Active Lives Survey, much of the dip in cycling across England has come from fewer people cycling for leisure with 13.1 per cent did so at least once a month in 2019, compared to 9.2 per cent last year.

Oxford saw a drop over the same period, from 23.2 per cent to 18.6 per cent.