THANKS to the hard work of volunteers, it will soon be possible to ride out to the countryside on miles of quiet, traffic-free cycle track.

More than 20 unpaid workers have been knuckling down to pave the way for another stretch of Route 45, the national cycle network.

This part of the track will link Cricklade to Swindon and Swindon to Cirencester.

The volunteers are working on a 1.8 kilometre part of the route at a work camp near Cricklade, which is organised by sustainable transport charity Sustrans.

Route 45 currently provides 8,000 miles of cycling and walking routes throughout the UK, but by next year this will be extended to 10,000 miles.

By next summer it will be possible to walk or cycle from Swindon to Cricklade and Cirencester.

The workers will be on site until Saturday, August 21, and in that time will use six-tonne diggers and dumpers as well as their bare hands to lay more than 1,500 tonnes of stone.

Steve Elderkin, Sustrans site manager, said: "There's some seriously hard graft being undertaken. Some of the volunteers are trained to use the plant equipment, while others take on more manual labour such as fencing and clearing scrub."

Work goes on seven days a week, eight hours a day, with many taking time off paid employment to help out.

Mr Elderkin said: "I think eventually, as the network improves, it will become more and more appealing for people to cycle.

"There is still a relatively high death rate on our roads, which obviously puts people off cycling.

"Hopefully, our work will encourage more people to get on their bikes. This has great knock-on benefits for the environment.

"Traffic-free sections provide a suitable place for children and new cyclists to practise their skills."

The National Cycle Network is funded by grants from national and local government and charitable trusts as well as the National Lottery and donations from Sustrans supporters.

To get involved in future Sustrans work camps or find out more about the national cycle network, visit www.sustrans.org.uk or e-mail rangers-uk@sustrans.org.uk.

emma-Kate Lidbury