Thousands take to their bikes for Great Manchester Cycle

The Great Manchester Cycle has been taking place across the city.

Thousands of people took to the roads on bikes to cover routes of 13, 26 and 52 miles through Manchester and Salford on streets which have been closed to other traffic for the day.

The event is though to be the country's biggest timed cycling event.

Graham Hoyle from Sale said he was cycling the 26-mile route in memory of his son Matthew who died from leukaemia just before his 14th birthday.

"He was a sporty lad," he said. "I'm not a great cyclist but it's nice to be part of something which is a first for Manchester.

"It's good to be riding on roads which are usually packed with buses and cars."

The event features three different distances based around the 13-mile closed road loop designed to cater for all abilities.

More experienced riders can try four laps of the course on the 52-mile route.

Starting and finishing at Eastlands, the home of Manchester City FC, the course takes in the districts of Manchester, Trafford and Salford.

Councillor Mike Amesbury, Manchester City Council's executive member for culture and leisure, said the event was a "highlight of Manchester's Jubilee weekend".

On Sunday the Big Lunch in Manchester saw local people invited to the nation's biggest picnic to celebrate the Jubilee in Exchange Square.

Later Manchester Cathedral will be one of 4,000 venues across the UK where a Jubilee beacon will be lit.

See all the latest Diamond Jubilee news and features at bbc.co.uk/diamondjubilee