Number plates ‘may put pupils off cycling’

CAMPAIGNERS have accused a school of putting children off cycling by forcing them to attach number plates to their bikes.

Children attending Stanley Park High in Carshalton, south London, will soon be issued with number plates that “must be displayed when riding to and from school” as part of a scheme to let the public help teachers identify youngsters cycling irresponsibly.

Amit Amin, the head teacher, said the measure was in response to incidents of children cycling in a way that “endangers themselves and others”.

In a message published on the school’s website, he wrote: “Students without a number plate will not be permitted to cycle to school, or lock their cycles on school grounds.”

But Duncan Dollimore, of Cycling UK, the biking charity, questioned why Stanley Park High “wants to make cycling to school more difficult”. Chris Boardman, the former professional cyclist, wrote on Twitter: “If I was one of the school governors, I’d be stepping in now.”