The number of students cycling to school in east Bristol is on the increase thanks to a teacher who has started a bicycle repair service.

Since City Academy geography teacher Hamish Crow launched the scheme, dozens more students and teachers are now cycling to school.

Mr Crow came up with the idea of a school repair service after noticing discarded bikes deteriorating in local gardens.

He charges students at the school in Russell Town Avenue, Lawrence Hill, just £1 to repair or service their bikes, with staff paying £5. The prices are so inexpensive, it has encouraged everyone at the school to think about getting their bikes back on the road.

Mr Crow, whose passion is for fixing things, said: "There's umpteen bikes just lying around in gardens rotting because of punctures and various problems and students can be put off taking them to be repaired because they think it will cost a lot of money. Also so many kids are riding dangerous bikes because their parents don't know how to fix them. I'm asking them to give me their bikes and I'll fix them and make them safe. I charge students £1 to repair a bike and any new parts that are needed I sell at cost.

"Recently I repaired 10 bikes in three hours. That's probably 10 bikes which would otherwise have been left lying around."

The money raised from the service, which has so far reached more than £500, goes towards sending a group of 12 City Academy students on a fact-finding mission to The Gambia. The students will take sports equipment, books, stationery and clothing to pupils at the academy's link school, Bottrop Technical Senior Secondary School in Brikama.

Mr Crow said the main attraction for students was the low cost: "I don't sell the scheme as helping to save the planet, but rather if they start cycling they will save lots of money and lead a much healthier lifestyle.

"When this in turn helps the planet by putting less cars on the road, then that's a bonus."

During the repair sessions, which take place every Wednesday after school, Mr Crow also teaches students how to repair bikes so they can help each other. The scheme has proved so popular it now forms part a health and wellbeing course at the school's new vocational training centre where learning advance skills such as how to straighten a wheel and respray bikes can help students gain a qualification.

Police have been so impressed with the scheme they donated 10 bikes in various states of disrepair which have now been made roadworthy and sold to students at a nominal price.

The number of students cycling to school has risen so much the academy has now agreed for secure, weatherproof bicycle shelters to be built, replacing the existing bike stands.