CYCLISTS are once again being offered the chance to bag themselves an affordable helmet as part of the Oxford Mail's cycle safety campaign.

From today until Christmas, readers of the paper will be able to buy the potentially life-saving headwear, made by Witney-based Oxford Products, for just £5.

It comes after the Oxford Mail last week revealed cyclists had been involved in more than 2,000 crashes on the city's roads over a 10 year period.

Figures by journey planner CycleStreets showed there were 2,004 collisions between 2005 and 2016 and highlighted problem areas such as Botley Road, Abingdon Road, Woodstock Road and Banbury Road.

A nurse who cheated death after he was knocked off his bike and broke his neck backed the Oxford Mail's summer campaign, which saw 500 helmets sold to local cyclists earlier this year.

Jose Martinez, 27, was saved by his helmet after a horrific crash while cycling between Kidlington and Yarnton in February 2016.

He landed on his head, broke his neck, and was rushed to the John Radcliffe Hospital before undergoing 12 hours of surgery.

Doctors have since told him he would be dead or in a vegetative state if he was not wearing a helmet.

The dad-of-two from Yarnton said: "My own personal experience means I am more determined than ever to get people wearing helmets.

"You do not have to be involved in a crash like I was. It might just be winter when the road is damp and there are leaves and you skid at 5mph.

"If you hit your head on the road or the kerb it can have really serious consequences."

Rider's group Cyclox chairman Simon Hunt also supported the safety campaign, saying: "We don't dictate whether our members should wear a helmet, as it is a personal choice, but price should never be a barrier."

He added it was also important to think about safety as a whole, saying: "Cyclists need to make sure they are in control of their bike and their brakes are working properly. Choosing routes that match a cyclist's level of experience is also really important."

Simon Belton from Oxford Products said: "Oxford Products is proud to support the Oxford Mail’s promotion of road safety for our county’s cyclists.

"We all need to make sure that this sustainable mode of transport is promoted throughout the county, which means that if we are able, we must try to help keep cyclists from harm – getting riders to wear a helmet is the easiest and most obvious way to help achieve this and for £5, it’s a no-brainer."

To claim your helmet fill in the form below and bring it to the Oxford Mail offices in Osney Mead, Oxford, OX1 4TJ between 9am and 5pm on weekdays. There are 500 helmets available in blue, black and red as well as children's designs available on a first come, first serve basis.