MPs: Give us a Boris bike rack

MPs today clashed with town hall officials over plans for a Boris bike docking station close to Parliament.

Parliamentarians are calling for an end to the "absurd" situation of having no hire bikes near the Commons.

But Westminster council planning chiefs will be advised by officials at a meeting tomorrow to reject a proposed docking station in Abingdon Street Gardens, opposite the Lords. Officers say a dock would harm the area's "character and appearance", despite no objection from English Heritage.

Michael Fallon, Conservative Party deputy chairman, voiced MPs' anger. "It's a ludicrous delay," he said. "It's an absurd hole in the network. It's frustrating for tourists who want to visit Westminster and Whitehall." The closest racks are 10 minutes' walk away at Millbank Tower or Horseferry Road.