New research has identified the UK’s motorbike capital cities and towns, and when including surrounding areas in the postcode, Swansea has come out top – with an incredible 3.92% of the nations motorcyclists settling here.

Hosting 141,782 riders, Swansea offers both shoreline and lush, green scenic routes so its hardly surprising that the city is the UK’s number one biker hotspot.

The new research by Bikesure has named Wales as the third-highest biker hotspot in the UK, with 9,514 riders per 100,000 people.

To calculate Britain’s biker hot spots, Bikesure analysed the latest Department for Transport data to identify the number of licensed motorcyclists in the UK in 2021. This data was then broken down by region per 100,000 people, allowing Bikesure to pinpoint the top three locations that Britain’s bikers reside. 

Whilst expected in a post-Covid world that new bikers in the UK would rise due to lowered restrictions and the backlog of learners, Bikesure’s research shows biking within Britain has seen a sharp increase. 

In 2021, 36.9k new bikers were registered in the UK. With discussions around the need to address climate change increasing, the findings suggest a shift in the way Brits are travelling. The return of bikers was particularly prevalent in Wales, which boasted rider growth of 114% since 2020.

Wales also tops the list when it comes to the greatest number of urban bikers, with both Swansea (141,781 actual riders) and Llandudno (77,803 actual riders) making the top ten town and city hot spots list with 6% of all urban riders living in these locations. Wales also had 5% of the 38.6k newly registered motorcyclists in 2021, boasting 114% growth since 2020.

Bikesure asked bikers in the UK’s hot spots what they felt their region offered to riders. They said:

• The North East offers great rural riding experiences, as voted by 72% of bikers in this region.
• Scottish riders feel a sense of camaraderie with 71% of riders rating the friendliness of other motorcyclists highly.
• Welsh riders were happiest with the accessibility of garages to upkeep and maintain their motorcycles, as voted by 81% of bikers.

Looking at newly licensed riders, although there was a decline in 2020, presumably due to Covid, 2021 was a bumper year with 38.6k new bikers. Looking at demographics, 3.6k newly qualified motorcyclists were aged 20-29 years old, but 2021 also saw the highest number of riders aged 60-69 get their licence, with 911 registering in the first three quarters.

Most of these new bikers can be found in the South East, with Reading and Guilford revealed as the region’s most popular biker towns. There were 7.1k newly qualified motorcyclists in the South East region – a year-on-year increase of 86%.

Large jumps in the number of new riders were also seen in Greater London, the East Midlands and in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The East Midlands is in fact home to 30% of the top 10 cities for newly registered motorcyclists. Nottingham, Derby and Leicester in the East Midlands saw 2.5k new bikers licensed in 2021. As a region, it saw an 106% increase in riders, meaning it was also among the top three fastest growing regions year-on-year along with Wales, and Yorkshire and the Humber.

New polling data released for Living Streets’ Walk to School Week (16-20 May 2022) finds that traffic is one of the biggest barriers to children walking to school, with 17 per cent of parents in Wales naming it as a reason their child doesn’t walk.

With over 460,000 pupils in Wales, it would mean tens of thousands of them are being denied the physical and social health benefits of being more active.

Schools being too far away from home (18%) and cars parked on pavements (17%) were also barriers for Welsh parents.

The latest data suggests just 50 per cent of primary school aged children in Wales walk to school.

Stephen Edwards, Chief Executive, Living Streets said: “We’re stuck in a catch-22 where families see driving to school as the safest way to protect their children from traffic.

“Leaving the car at home will reduce chaos and road danger around the school gates. It’s also a great way for children to learn about road safety in a real life setting and build their confidence in managing risk.

“Walk to School Week is an excellent opportunity for families to give walking to school a go and reap the health and social benefits of moving more.”

Living Streets works with schools, local authorities and parent groups to help improve the walk to school.

Stephen Edwards continues: “We want to enable as well as encourage more families to walk to school. We’re here to help parents who are worried about safety around their child’s school. Car-free zones, 20mph limits and better crossings can all help make the walk to school safer and we’re here to help people campaign for them in their area.”

For more information on Living Streets’ walk to school campaign, visit livingstreets.org.uk/WalkToSchool

(Lead image: Shutterstock)

The Food Safety Authority (FSA) has issued a recall notice for cooked chicken sandwiches, wraps and other products sold at TWELVE major retailers due to salmonella fears.

The products were supplied by food producer Cranswick Country Foods who manufacture own-brand products for a number of supermarkets and food outlets.

In a statement the FSA said: “Cranswick Country Foods are recalling several products containing chicken because salmonella has been found in some of the chicken used to manufacture these products.

“As a precaution additional products are also being recalled whilst investigations continue.”

Products sold by Aldi, Waitrose, Amazon, Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Costa, Cafe Nero, M&S, Starbucks, Shell, One Stop and Tesco are all affected by the warning.

Aldi Chicken & Stuffing Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

Aldi Chicken & Sweetcorn Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

Aldi Chicken and Bacon Caesar Wraps Mixed
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

Waitrose Chicken & Bacon Caesar Wrap
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 14 May 2022

Waitrose Deep Filled Roast Chicken & Bacon Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 14 May 2022

Waitrose Deep Filled Roast Chicken & Stuffing Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 14 May 2022

Waitrose Entertaining Meat Roulade Wrap Selection
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 14 May 2022

Waitrose Essential Chicken Mayo Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 14 May 2022

Waitrose Roast Chicken & Bacon Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 14 May 2022

Waitrose Roast Chicken & Stuffing Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 14 May 2022

Waitrose Roast Chicken & Sweetcorn Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 14 May 2022

Waitrose Roast Chicken Salad with Salad Cream Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 14 May 2022

Aldi Chicken and Bacon Caesar Wrap Triple Wrap
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

Use by

Amazon Arabiatta Chicken Pasta Salad
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

Amazon BBQ Chicken Hot wrap
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

Amazon Chicken and Bacon Caesar Baguette
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

Amazon Chicken and Spinach Protein Pot
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

Amazon Chicken Caesar Wrap
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

Amazon Chicken Tikka Bites
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

Amazon Chicken Triple Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

Amazon Harissa Chicken and Grain Salad
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

Aldi Chicken Fajita Triple Wrap
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

Amazon Katsu Chicken and Coconut Slaw
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

Amazon Lemongrass Chicken Grain Salad
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

Amazon Mexican Chicken Mini Salad
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

Amazon Sweet Chilli Chicken Noodle Salad
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

Amazon Thai Chicken Hot Box
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

Amazon Tikka Chicken & Masala Potato
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Sage & Onion Chicken Breast Slice 180g
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 20 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Café Chicken & Bacon Topped Toastie
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Cajun Chicken Grills 180g
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 20 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Chargrilled Chicken Slices 160g
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 20 May 2022

Aldi Chicken Beechwood Smoked Bacon and Stuffing Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Chargrilled Chicken Slices 300g
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 20 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Chargrilled Salt & Chilli Thigh Fillets 150g
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 20 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Chicken & Sweetcorn Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Chicken and Bacon Sub Roll
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Chicken Fajita Triple Wrap
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Chicken Salad Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Chicken Triple Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Chicken with Pork, Sage & Onion Stuffing Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Chicken, Bacon & Caesar Wrap
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Classic Sandwich Platter
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 12 May 2022

Aldi Eat & Go Chicken and Bacon Club with Mayo
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Classic Triple Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Coronation Chicken Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Firecracker Chicken Slices 160g
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 20 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Flamegrilled Chicken Grills 180g
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 20 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Flamegrilled Chicken Mini Fillets 170g
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 20 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Garlic & Herb Chicken Breast Slices 180g
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 20 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Gluten Free Chicken Caesar Wrap
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Gluten Free Sandwich Platter
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 12 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Grilled Tandoori Chicken Thigh Fillets 150g
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 20 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Jerk Chicken Wrap
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

Aldi Eat & Go Classic Selection Chicken Salad, Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Prawn Mayonnaise Sandwiches
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Kansas City BBQ Wings 486g
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 20 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Meat Sandwich Platter
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 12 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Mexican Chicken Mini Fillets 170g
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 20 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Piri Piri Chicken Mini Fillets 170g
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 20 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Spring on the Lemon Chicken Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Thai Red Chicken Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s Wrap Platter
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 12 May 2022

By Sainsburys Chicken & Bacon Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

By Sainsbury’s TTD Greek Chicken & Tzatziki Premium Wrap
Use by	All use by dates from 3 May up to and including 14 May 2022

Caffé Nero Chargrilled Chicken Salad Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 13 May 2022

Aldi Flavoured Mini Chicken Fillets; Mango Curry & Shwarma
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 19 May 2022

Co-op Chicken & Bacon Caesar Wrap
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 14 May 2022

Co-op Chicken & Sweetcorn Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 14 May 2022

Co-op Chicken and Stuffing Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 14 May 2022

Co-op Chicken Mayo Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 14 May 2022

Co-op Coronation Chicken Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 14 May 2022

Co-op Oriental Chicken Curry with Egg Fried Rice 400g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 20 May 2022

Co-op Oriental Chow Mein 375g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 20 May 2022

Co-op Oriental Sweet and Sour Chicken with Egg Fried Rice 400g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 20 May 2022

Costa British Chicken Fajita Wrap
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

Costa British Roast Chicken & Bacon Classic Toastie
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

Aldi Roast Chicken & Bacon Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

Costa Chicken & Chorizo Stonebaked Panini
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

‘Jamie Oliver deli by Shell’ Spicy Chipotle BBQ Chicken Wrap
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 13 May 2022

M&S 14 Piece Classic Sandwich Platter
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 13 May 2022

M&S Chicken & Bacon Caesar Wrap
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

M&S Classic Mini Roll Selection
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 12 May 2022

M&S Deli Filler Coronation Chicken
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 17 May 2022

M&S Made Without Wheat Gluten Free Chicken & Bacon Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 13 May 2022

M&S Roast Chicken & Bacon Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 13 May 2022

M&S Roast Chicken & Salad Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 13 May 2022

M&S The Café Classic Selection
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 13 May 2022

Aldi Roast Chicken Salad Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

M&S The Café Gluten Free Chicken Salad
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 13 May 2022

M&S Honey and Mustard Chicken Pasta Salad
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

M&S Chicken and Bacon Layered Salad
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

M&S Chicken Caesar Salad
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

One Stop BBQ Chicken Chunks 180g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 19 May 2022

One Stop Sliced Roast Chicken Breast 180g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 19 May 2022

Starbucks Coronation Chicken Sandwich
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 13 May 2022

Tesco BBQ Chicken Breast Pieces 180g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 19 May 2022

Tesco Chicken Breast Slices 180g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 20 May 2022

Tesco Chicken Breast Slices 180g (Express)
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 19 May 2022

Aldi Sweet Chilli Chicken Triple Wrap
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 15 May 2022

Tesco Chicken Breast Slices 360g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 20 May 2022

Tesco Coronation Chicken Pieces 180g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 18 May 2022

Tesco Fajita Chicken Breast Mini Fillets 170g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 18 May 2022

Tesco Flame Grilled Chicken Breast Mini Fillets 170g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 20 May 2022

Tesco Flame Grilled Chicken Thins 180g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 18 May 2022

Tesco Garlic & Herb Chicken Breast Mini Fillets 170g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 19 May 2022

Tesco Piri Piri Chicken Breast Mini Fillets 170g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 18 May 2022

Tesco Piri Piri Chicken Breast Pieces 180g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 19 May 2022

Tesco Sliced Chicken Breast with Sage & Onion 180g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 19 May 2022

Tesco Tandoori Chicken Pieces 180g
Use by	All use by dates up to and including 19 May 2022

A full list of products affected is available on the FSA website.

The FSA added: “Our advice to consumers If you have bought the above products, do not eat them. Instead, return them to the store from where they were bought for a full refund.”

(Lead image: Lara604 / CC BY-SA 2.0)