Young superheroes harnessed pedal power in a bid to save the planet.

Kids from Fryern Infants and Juniors in Chandler’s Ford saddled up on their bikes dressed as their favourite action characters.

They were among 1,000 schools across the country signing up for the Big Pedal initiative, run by sustainable transport group Sustrans.

It encourages youngsters to embrace a greener lifestyle by travelling to school by bike or scooter for a two-week period climaxing on Friday.

Fryern juniors clinched top place in the South Hampshire area – with 45 per cent of its 180 pupils arriving at school by bike – closely followed by the infant school where 35 per cent of 180 pupils rode in.

They celebrated the feat with a fancy dress ride accompanied by Winchester MP Steve Brine dressed as Clark Kent and Superman.

Sustrans Bike It officer Ray Craig said: “They’ve done really well. It has inspired them to cycle into school.”