WINCHESTER civic chiefs are set to tighten their stance on abandoned bikes.

Under a policy introduced in 2015 such bicycles have been held for three months before either being given to charity or scrapped.

But a shortage of storage space means the city council is proposing to cut the storage time to one month to allow owners to claim their bikes.

Currently a notice is placed on an abandoned bike giving the owners two weeks to remove them. If the council seizes them they are taken to the council depot in Bar End and held.

The new policy would give owners only seven days before the bikes are removed.