CYCLISTS have collected a 600-name petition calling for the resurrection of plans to create a designated cycle route along a picturesque coastal trail.

More than three years ago, Christchurch Borough Council attempted to create a three-mile cycle way stretching from Mudeford Quay to Chewton Bunny in Highcliffe.

Part of the route was owned privately, but the main obstacle was opposition from a local residents association which managed to defeat the project.

But the Dorset Cyclists Network's Christchurch branch says the vast majority of residents were in favour of the scheme and has spent the summer collecting signatures, which it claims show huge community support for making the route an official cycle trail.

In 2004 the borough council bought the piece of private land near Highcliffe Castle, finally making cycling the route a real possibility. But there are still no cycling signs near Mudeford and in Highcliffe.

James Kelly from Christchurch Community Cyclists said: "To create a great cycle trail for the local community and tourists, Christchurch and the county councils don't even need to spend any money. The route is already there, they just need to remove the no-cycling signs."

The borough council's highway chiefs admitted creating a cycle route on the path would create engineering problems at certain points and raise some safety issues.

But the borough council's highways manager Bob Baker added that linking the three-mile stretch to existing cycle routes could also create an uninterrupted ride along the coast from Milford-on-Sea to Studland.

The petition will be presented to Christchurch Borough Council on Tuesday.

First published: Oct 25