"Boris Bikes", the Mayor of London's hugely popular cycle hire scheme, is coming to Wandsworth.

Mayor Boris Johnson has chosen July 28, the first anniversary of the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme, to announce that the bikes are heading south west.

The Mayor has confirmed that Barclays have agreed to provide another £25 million of sponsorship, and this extra funding will help the scheme to expand throughout west and southwest London.

The council is discussing with Transport for London the possibility of extending the Barclays Cycle hire scheme to the borough. These discussions are at an early stage but if they prove successful, then Boris Bikes could arrive in Wandsworth in 2013.

Dozens of docking stations would be positioned at key locations around the borough, mainly near rail stations and busy shopping areas.

The scheme has proved enormously popular in central London where the distinctive blue bikes, sponsored by Barclays, have been used for hundreds of thousands of short journeys since they were introduced exactly one year ago.

At the moment there are 6,000 bikes available from 352 docking stations, 24 hours a day seven days a week. People who have signed up to the scheme can use the bikes free of charge for up to half an hour or for as little as £1 for a journey lasting up to an hour.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, pictured left with Wandsworth's transport spokesman Cllr Russell King said:
" Today it is testament to the huge impact of Barclays Cycle Hire and to the rapidly increasing popularity of pedal power in London that I can announce we are now planning to swathe a huge chunk of the west of our city with our beautiful blue bikes."

Wandsworth’s Cllr Russell King said:
“The discussions are at an early stage, but we are very keen to explore the possibility of getting Boris Bikes to Wandsworth at the earliest possible opportunity.  These bikes have revolutionised the way people travel around London and we look forward to seeing these benefits extended south of the river."

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, added:
“One year ago all of my fingers and toes were crossed as I launched a glorious new form of public transport in London. Today it is testament to the huge impact of Barclays Cycle Hire and to the rapidly increasing popularity of pedal power in London that I can announce we are now planning to swathe a huge chunk of the west of our city with our beautiful blue bikes.”

Richard Tracey London Assembly Member for Wandsworth and Merton told us:
" Having campaigned for ‘Boris Bikes’ to be brought to Wandsworth since 2009, I’m delighted that the Mayor is going to extend the scheme to our borough.  The bikes will help residents to get around the borough more easily and also allow them to cycle to neighbouring Westminster, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Lambeth.  Barclays Cycle Hire bikes have proved incredibly popular in the first year since its introduction in central London; it has 128,000 members and over six million journeys have been made. I’m confident, given Wandsworth has one of the youngest populations of in London, that the scheme will prove a tremendous success when it is completed in the summer of 2013."

Cycling projects have been shown to give a return of £3 for every £1 spent – with much of this coming in crucial health benefits, according to the London Cycling Campaign.

A membership key for the Mayor’s cycle hire scheme costs £3 with membership costs at £1 for a 24 hour membership, £5 for seven days and £45 for an annual membership. The first 30 minutes of every journey is free.

For more information visit Barclays Cycle Hire .