Santander has launched an app that will allow cyclists to book a "Boris bike" in London and pay for it via their mobile.

Customers will be able to use Santander Cycles, available on both iOS and Android, to see where bikes and docking spaces are available – the latter being a common complaint among the capital’s cyclists.

Boris Johnson, the London mayor whom the bikes are named after, said: "The new Santander Cycles app will make finding and hiring a bike in our great capital city even more of a doddle.

"The app is packed full of handy new features and is part and parcel of our plans to take the cycle hire scheme to the next level and encourage more people on to two wheels."

In addition to the above the app will also allow customers to buy daily or annual subscriptions to the service, as well as see the cost at the end of a hire period.

It is also integrated with Transport for London’s (TfL) cycling journey planner, which displays the 750 docking stations in the capital along with how many bikes are available there.

Leon Daniels, MD of surface transport at TfL, said: "This is just one of the exciting new developments we’re bringing to life with our new partnership with Santander.

"Together we’re working hard to make cycling an integral part of London life, so anyone can jump on a bike to get to work, the shops or discover the capital."

Nathan Bostock, chief executive of Santander UK, added that the company was committed to growing the scheme, which led to more than 10 million journeys last year.