A CHARITY has slammed crazy “health and safety” laws which mean police cannot supply them with bikes that need repairing – because they need repairing.

Re-Cycle, based in Moorside, Colchester, collects old bikes, repairs and overhauls them before shipping them to Africa to provide cheap, sustainable transport.

So far, it has sent more than 31,000 bikes to the continent.

The charity collects the bicycles from anywhere, but about 20 a month have usually come from Hampshire Constabulary, via the Meadowbrook Day Centre, on the Isle of Wight.

Derek Balcombe, Re-Cycle manager, explained: “The day centre is for people with learning disabilities. For a number of years, it has been collecting bikes on our behalf, some of which are unclaimed from Hampshire Constabulary.

“The centre then repaired and did up the bikes, providing a valuable activity for their members, and two or three times a year brought them over to us.

“It was a win-win-win situation – the police did not have to pay to scrap them, the centre could provide the activity, and we got the bikes for Africa.”

But the centre has now been told it cannot have any more bikes from Hampshire Constabulary.

Mr Balcombe said: “The police could not donate any more because of the risk of liability.

“It would be irresponsible of the police to donate bikes in less than roadworthy condition.”

The issue is all the more confusing, because in recent months, more police stations across the south east, including Colchester, Braintree, Chelmsford and Guildford, have all started donating unclaimed bicycles to the charity.

Hampshire Constabulary’s property manager, Lucy Jenkins, said: “Hampshire Constabulary is sympathetic to the work of charities that express an interest in using and donating items stored by the force’s property stores.

“However, the force is not able to supply unclaimed bicycles to charity as the force does not have the resources available to conduct thorough safety tests of every bicycle in its possession.

“Hampshire Constabulary is not excluded from legal liability in the event of any subsequent personal injuries or property damage related to a bicycle previously held in storage by the force.”

Anyone wishing to donate a bicycle can drop it off at Re-Cycle, Unit A Global Park, Moorside, between 9am and 5pm, Tuesdays to Fridays, and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays.