A new study has revealed that many commuters in the UK have switched to riding bicycles to get to work in order to save cost.

The research from Sainsbury’s Home Insurance said it has found that up to 12 per cent of workers in the UK have recently taken to this habit.

This, it added, is approximately 3.3 million people in the country.

People who cycle to work save an average of £33.70 a week or up to £111.2 million collectively.

In addition to financial benefits, it further revealed that riding bike helps people to improve their personal fitness and promote a cleaner environment.

With the number of those using bicycles to travel around rising sharply, the firm warned that bike theft could also rise sharply and advised people to make sure they purchase home insurance policies that would cover their bicycles.

In a separate development, a teenager has allegedly left a police officer with a damaged knee after hitting him with an off-road motorbike.

18-year-old Ethen Sieley has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, dangerous driving and having no bike insurance.

The officer had reportedly tried to stop three off-road bikers from illegally riding when the accident occurred outside Thetford.