Old, broken and unwanted bikes are being given a new lease of life thanks to an innovative recycling initiative.

Sutton Council is collecting bikes from residents and reusing them for a variety of projects.

More than 120 bikes have already been salvaged since December 2009, some have been recycled but others have been rebuilt and used for cycle training in schools.

About 40 bicycles have been given to Wandle Valley School for pupils to learn about how bikes work and to try their hand at rebuilding them.

Councillor Colin Hall, Sutton Council’s climate change spokesman, said: “This is a simple yet effective project. Collecting unwanted bikes helps residents de-clutter and then for little extra cost they can be transformed and be put to use in a variety of projects around the borough.”

Doug Bone, headteacher at Wandle Valley School, said: “This initiative is a great idea - the bikes we received were put to good use teaching students about how they work, how to repair them and their positive environmental impact.”

If you have an unwanted bike that you would like the council to collect please contact Sutton Council on 020 8770 5070.