A bicycle will be on many children’s wish-lists this Christmas; but it’s also on many criminals’ hit-lists too. Bikes are ideal targets for thieves – especially if they have been left unsecured or inside unlocked sheds. It takes minutes for an opportunist thief to spot an unlocked bike and make off with it and hundreds of pounds worth of ‘Christmas present’ can be gone.
BikeRegister, a UK national cycle database, is urging everyone who is considering buying cycles as Christmas gifts – and those who already own bikes – to take steps to keep them safe and protected from thieves.
James Brown, MD of BikeRegister, said: “Don’t let thieves ruin your Christmas and take action now to stop thieves from stealing your bikes. You can register your bike for free at www.bikeregister.com and purchase one of our marking kits for added protection. Marking your bike with a unique code ensures that Police will be able to trace your bike back to you if it is stolen and recovered.”
BikeRegister is a police-approved marking scheme with over 450,000 bikes already registered. The kit is the Metropolitan Police’s preferred bike marking product and is used by officers at the many bike marking events that take place in all 32 boroughs across London (pictured: Hillingdon).
Insp Titus Halliwell, from the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, recommends the following tips to protect your bike over the Christmas and into 2016:
1) Property mark all bicycles in your household and register those details online with BikeRegister (www.bikeregister.com) keeping a note of those details safely for future reference.
2) Only use Gold standard accredited Sold Secure locks ensuring that the frame and both wheels are securely locked to a designated cycle parking stand
3) Remove all easily removable items such as lights and saddle pouches before leaving your bike unattended.
4) In the unfortunate event that your bike is stolen, report it to police in as much detail as possible including the frame number and ensure your BikeRegister account is updated which will ‘flag’ the theft, sending out an automatic ‘bike stolen’ alert via social media.
5) Only buy second-hand bikes from a reputable dealer. Remember; if the price or offer is ever too good to be true, it probably is!
