CYCLISTS fed up with trying to traverse Croydon's busy roads have hit out at the council for not doing enough to help two-wheeled travellers.

Members of Croydon Cycling Campaign launched their own investigation into how much has been spent on cycle lanes and provisions in the borough.

They used Freedom of Information requests to uncover cycle spending over the last four years.

They claim that compared with the other London boroughs Croydon Council has "consistently underbid, been under-allocated and has under-spent."

Using grants from Transport for London (TfL), over the last four years the council has spent £4.50 per person on cycling.

This compares with an average of £13.47 per person across the capital – and £28.99 per person by London leaders Camden.

Austen Cooper, coordinator of Croydon Cycling Campaign, said: "You're not going to cycle from one side of Croydon to another because there's no clean and attractive route. There's no point trying to cycle around Croydon.

"We have been told that schemes have not gone ahead because there is not enough money – but the money was there and they haven't picked it up. No one in the council has a good grasp of what needs to be done."

Over the past four years, the council applied to TfL for only 60 per cent of what the average borough asked for.

Mr Cooper added: "We want to make Croydon a great place to cycle.

"It's not rocket science and it's not that it isn't happening elsewhere in London and England – but they have to put money into it for it to work."

A Croydon Council spokesman said: "The level of funding requested in previous applications reflected what was felt to be appropriate to the circumstances at that time.

"The council is keen to encourage greater take-up of cycling and continues to look for suitable opportunities to do so."