two new cycle trails have been launched at Roadford Lake.

Doing the opening honours last Thursday were South West?Lakes Trust chairman Keith Bungay and Duncan Whitall, a long term friend of the trust and Olympic torch bearer (pictured).

The two trails, developed with the Forestry Commission, are ideal for cyclists of all abilities.

There is a family-friendly green grade trail, and a slightly more adventurous blue grade trail which winds its way through the forest. Both trails are a fantastic route to take to view the beautiful surroundings in which the lake is set.

Also at the opening were Sir John Cave, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Devon; Robin and Jane Musgrave, West Devon mayor and mayoress Musgrave and Cllr Rob Tremain, mayor of Launceston.

Students from St Giles on the Heath Primary School also attended and brought their bikes to try out the trails.

Mr Bungay said: 'South West Lakes Trust is about getting people out in the countryside, enjoying all sorts of pastimes and activities.

'This off-road cycling experience adds another reason for tourists and local people to keep enjoying the lakes of the South West.'

Keith added that the hard work to get to this point involved many different agencies and organisations, including Defra, the European Union, the Environment Agency, the former regional development agency, the Forestry Commission, South West Water, Sport England and the trust itself.

The trails have been funded through the 1SW project of the rural development programme for England, which is looking at developing the entire South West as a mountain biking destination through the creation of cycling hubs. These will host a variety of trails of different gradings to enable cyclists to build to a more advanced level in a safe environment.

The Outdoor + Active project is being funded through the Rural Development Fund for England (RDPE) and £2.5-million will be invested by South West Lakes Trust in its sites across the three counties.