MP Tony Baldry got on his bike to find out for himself the pitfalls of trying to cycle around Bicester, which is in his Banbury constituency.

Tory Mr Baldry cycled from his home in Bloxham to meet Simon Pratt, regional director of sustainable transport charity Sustrans.

Mr Pratt, who lives in Bicester, challenged the MP to a tour of cycle and walkways to show him ‘exactly how unpleasant it is’.

The idea was to highlight how areas could be improved alongside planned development in the town centre and elsewhere.

Afterwards Mr Pratt said: “The ride went well, a great fact-finding visit for all parties.

“We visited all nine key ‘gateways’ to the town centre – mostly crossing points of major barriers, two railway lines and a main road.

“We looked at links to the town centre, Bicester Village, Bicester North and Bicester Town railway stations, schools and business parks.

“We also discussed the impact of proposed developments at the eco-town, south-west Bicester and the town centre.”

Mr Baldry said: “There are some issues about how we ensure integrated cyclepaths and networks across the town.

“I don’t think this is something which requires much money. In some places it requires improved signage, colour coding on roads, perhaps imaginatively marking cycle gateways in housing estates. There is clearly local expertise that can help make this happen.”