GWENT police officers turned to pedal power to provide an escort for Prince Charles at the Ryder Cup last week.

Four £900 bikes were commissioned especially for the event and officers covered around 1,400 during the course of the week.

Chief Inspector Glyn Fernquest said the Prince was impressed with the green solution to the problem of getting around the hilly and spread out course.

He said: "If we had used traditional high performance cars and golf buggies to get officers to where they were needed, we would have done at least twice the amount of journeys."

Organisers of the 2012 Olympics and the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles have asked for the specification and design of the bike and there has also been interest in a new harness, also specially commissioned, which allows officers to carry all their equipment and connects to a camera mounted on their helmet.

The bikes, which will now be used for general policing, are part of Gwent Police's efforts to cut carbon emissions.