Police are using pedal-power to crack crime on Oxford estates after it was found that using bicycles dramatically reduced crime in east Oxford.

A new team of six officers is patrolling Blackbird Leys, Greater Leys, Rose Hill and Littlemore on bikes.

Sgt Sarah Price, who heads the team, said it was already having an impact on crime, working in conjunction with area beat officers.

She said: "We are disrupting crime and crime patterns and we can react quickly. We don't just patrol -- we target different offenders and different hot spots.

"The team are all highly motivated and they have been picked for their skills and effectiveness.

"It's also about accessibility to the community."

They were introduced after east Oxford's pro-active team dramatically cut crime with high-visibility patrols on bikes and raids on homes.

Between April 1 and August 31 there were 143 burglaries in east Oxford -- 31 fewer than during the same period year. There were 76 car thefts -- a reduction of 45. Susan Brown, city council executive member for crime and community safety, said: "I'm delighted that police are ex- panding their successful experiment in east Oxford into Blackbird Leys, Littlemore and Rose Hill.

"People in those areas will welcome the high-visibility presence this gives the police."

The acting secretary of Leys Residents' Association, Enid Foster, said: "It will be ideal around Blackbird Leys with all its nooks and corners. A policeman on a bike is safer than a policeman on foot and is fast enough to catch up with someone running away."

Rose Hill city councillor Bill Buckingham said: "I really do think it's a good idea -- far better than riding around in cars. You can stop someone on a bike easily and they can get off to chat."

Ch Insp Mark Millar, Oxford police's head of operations, said he would like to extend the scheme to other parts of Oxford.

But he could not foresee this during the next 12 months, because of police staffing problems.

The activities of the new team will be reviewed over the next six months.

The east Oxford team enjoyed success recently when they raided an address in Magdalen Road and found a large quantity of hard drugs.

Sgt Jim O'Ryan, in charge of the east Oxford team, said he was not surprised senior officers had decided to extend it to other parts of Oxford.