A CYCLE scheme piloted in the Cowdenbeath area is helping tots across the Kingdom get on their bike.

'Play on pedals' started here in 2015 when the local area committee and Cycling Scotland gave Fife Council's Active Fife team the money to buy balance and pedal bikes.

It proved a hit and has now been rolled out across Fife, with 63 Early Years officers now trained to deliver the fun project and more than 1,100 children taking part.

Kirsteen Torrance, Cycling Development Officer, explained: “Play on Pedals is a cycling resource to encourage young children to adopt cycle skills.

"Through the use of a balance bike children develop fundamental core stability and movement skills that encourage them to quickly adopt a pedal bike after only a few weeks.

“The feedback received from parents and nursery schools has been incredibly encouraging.

"The education and children’s services staff have done a fantastic job, working in partnership with us to deliver the sessions with enthusiasm and passion. The children have loved it!

"The vast majority of them can now use a balance bike at full speed with many also now able to ride a bike with no stabilisers in sight!"

The new administration at Fife Council has pledged to introduce measures to ensure every child in Fife can swim and ride a bike safely by the time they leave primary school.