BIKES that can be locked and unlocked using a mobile app could be coming to places like Cirencester, Kemble and Moreton-in-Marsh.

Bainton Bikes currently operates out of Oxford city centre and its immediate environs.

Their bikes require no locking infrastructure and can be simply parked and locked anywhere.

Via a mobile app, the rider can lock and unlock their bike remotely. This is extremely secure and easy to use.

The company have had discussions with Great Western Railways to provide assistance and are looking at other locations to provide the bikes.

Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown met with Howard Papworth, chief executive of Bainton Bikes, Sally Graff, shared tourism and business support manager at Cotswold & West Oxfordshire District Councils and Martin Lane, director of Cotswold Conservation Board on October 14 to discuss the introduction of an innovative cycle hire scheme in the Cotswolds.

Mr Clifton-Brown said: "The new, secure technology that Bainton Bikes have introduced opens up a whole new dimension to the concept of ‘Boris bikes’ in the Cotswolds. They can be located anywhere and would be available by registering on the app and reserving and paying a fee in advance.

"Examples of how it would operate are for all bikes to be available at Kemble and Cirencester in order to ride between the two without having to use a car, or sited at Kemble and Moreton-in-Marsh so that families could catch the train from London Paddington and have a pleasant day out in the Cotswolds.

"In the short, the idea is to get more people out of their cars and onto their bikes."