They’ve been on the streets for just three weeks, and the new Santander Cycles are proving popular with riders.

The bikes, which can be collected and dropped off at locations across London, including Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Canary Wharf, were hired more than 25,000 times since they were introduced at the start of the month - a 30 per cent rise in the average hire rate per bike per day.

More than 250 of the new bikes - which feature improved handling, visibility and comfort - have already been introduced to the cycle hire scheme, with thousands more due to be rolled out over the next few years.

David Eddington, TfL’s head of cycle hire, said: “The new Santander Cycles have been exceptionally popular, with thousands of people trying the new bikes in the first few weeks. We have no doubt that these upgraded cycles are going to help us break more records and will encourage even more people to take to two wheels.”