IT has only been up-and-running for little more than a month.

But a city campaign which aims to encourage courteous cycling behaviour has just received its 1,000th pledge.

The Stop At Red campaign, established by Andy Shrimpton, of York shop Cycle Heaven, wants to help halt bikers who cycle on when traffic lights turn red.

The campaign is designed to encourage safe and responsible cycling.

Last week, it was endorsed by York MP Hugh Bayley who has invited Mr Shrimpton to address MPs of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group before their annual cycle ride.

It has also been given the green light by the cycle industry's trade organisations - the Bicycle Association, the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT) and Sustrans.

Mr Shrimpton is a director of ACT and said his intention is to develop Stopatred into an in-store customer education campaign for the cycle trade.

"The campaign is going great and it is really getting support from the cycling industry," he said. "We want to develop a much broader campaign to encourage more responsible and courteous cycling.

"The success of the campaign is not surprising at all, but we really haven't started yet. It has been a slow burn. We want to bed-in the idea."

Mr Shrimpton said he was pleased he would be able to speak to MPs.

"What a way to spread the message," he said.

Using the slogan, Use Your Head Stop At Red, staff at Cycle Heaven have been sporting Stop At Red T shirts, giving out bike stickers and have set up a website - www.stopatred.org - where visitors can make their pledge to the campaign.

When he launched the campaign, Mr Shrimpton said: "I'm tired of the bad press that cycling is getting these days, just because of the actions of a small minority.

"Running red lights is not clever or cool - it's dangerous and it's against the law.

"At best it will only save a minute, at worst it will cause an accident.

"But what it always does, without fail, is annoy just about everyone and it sets back what is a grand and noble cause."

Updated: 11:12 Tuesday, April 18, 2006