Police in Oxfordshire are being assessed on whether they can ride a bike by taking an online exam.

Among the questions officers must answer are "Do you wobble when you're riding along slowly?" and "Can you turn left and right on your bike?"

Last night Thames Valley Police defended online assessment saying it was a "cost-effective" training system.

James Styring of Oxford cycling group, Cyclox, said: "You should get on a bike to learn how to ride one properly. I'm extremely surprised you could do it online.

"It doesn't seem like a terribly sensible way of testing things."

Francis Chaloner, cycling development officer at the Cyclists' Touring Club — which has represented cyclists for 120 years and has 60,000 members — said: "We approve actual practical bike skills and training.

"I don't really see how filling in a form demonstrates you can ride a bike. It only demonstrates you can fill in a form and tick boxes."

Once officers have ticked all the boxes they print out a certificate, which is sent to their senior officer to prove they passed the exam.

A police spokesman said the training programme was produced by a national company and was part of a wider e-learning package.

The spokesman added: "Thames Valley Police, like any other organisation, has a duty to make sure that employees who are required to ride a bicycle as part of their operational role have the basic skills necessary to do so safely.

"Rather than sending everybody on a training course, those people that have the necessary experience are able to demonstrate their skills by completing a simple online questionnaire."