New research has revealed that more people cycle in Hackney than in any other London borough.

London was ranked the country's commuter cycling capital, according to the research from the Department for Transport, with Hackney cyclists also most likely to use their bikes five times a week.

Eleven per cent of residents were found to use their bikes five days a week for either leisure or work, and 16.1pc rode three times a week.

Seven per cent of Hackney residents used their bikes five times a week for work, the highest percentage of any London borough.

Across the whole of England, cycling trips shot up 26pc in 2020 compared to the previous year and riders also travelled further, with average cycling distances 62pc longer than in 2019.

The research points to an uptick in cycling over the coming year with 47pc of people aged 5 and over in the UK now having access to a bicycle, up from 42pc from 2017 to 2019.

The report also revealed that more than half of respondents would start cycling if roads were safer.

Transport for London's (TfL) road danger reduction dashboard shows that in 2019/20 there were 1,032 casualty incidents involving bikes, with the majority (871) being described as "slight".

One-hundred and sixty incidents were reported as "serious" and one as fatal.

While inner-city boroughs like Hackney had some of the highest rates of casualty incidents in the capital the introduction of new Highway Code guidance this autumn is expected to address the issue.

The new guidance will establish a hierarchy of road users ranking the most vulnerable to harm.

It will also place the greatest responsibility for safety on drivers and give cyclists greater priority over vehicles at zebra crossings and junctions.

The Department for Transport announced the changes as part of a £338 million investment package to boost cycling and walking across the country.

Jeremy Phillips, Highways England's Head of Road Safety said: "The new edition of The Highway Code can give everyone on our roads the confidence that they have the knowledge and skills to safely get from A to B."

Lee Evans at Quotezone.co.uk, which launched one of the UK’s first price comparison services for bicycle insurance, added: “Cycling is flourishing, given the inadvertent boost from many months in lockdown, but the proposed changes to the Highway Code are a very positive step."