Crooks fleeing down alleyways and passages in Coventry will find the long arm of the law bearing down on them after police were given new mountain bikes.

Beat officers in Tile Hill and Stoke have been given the new bikes by Peugoet to help them on patrol.

Sergeant Judith Grubb, of the Tile Hill sector, said:

"In this part of the city, many of the roads are connected by pathways through the ancient woodland with passageways linking residential roads which are impassable to cars.

“The mountain bikes will be ideal and will speed up police responses through the narrow alleyways of these estates and provide officers with a silent approach.

"We are really pleased to receive the new bikes and grateful to Peugeot for their generosity."

At the same time, Peugeot will be giving a mountain bike to PC James Hempstock of the Stoke sector. PC Hempstock is based at Chace Avenue and will be using the bike to patrol his beat.

He said:

"The bike will mean that it will be much easier to get around - I am looking forward to using it and am delighted that Peugeot have been so generous."

Robert Browett, Public Affairs Manager at Peugeot, said:

"We already have close links with the local community and are always keen to forge even closer ones. I am pleased to say that officers driving Peugeot patrol cars are a fairly common sight around here.

“However, we wanted to support the return of police officers to the very heart of the community, what better way than to help them pound the beat in a more comfortable, more efficient way than on foot?"