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Cycle theft in central London has risen by 75 per cent in four months as criminals exploit the growing popularity of riding to work.
Among the worst hit areas are Cavendish Square, just off Oxford Street, Soho Square and the streets between Covent Garden and the Strand where thieves are targeting relatively quieter locations not covered by CCTV.
The Met says the surge, which has led to an additional 182 thefts since April in the borough of Westminster, is partly due to more cycles being parked on the streets and also because there is a growing market for stolen bikes.
It warns that some cyclists are failing to protect their bike properly and suggests employers could help by providing secure storage for cyclists.
The trend, which will be a blow to efforts to encourage cycling, emerged as Met figures show the 20 London wards with the most bicycle thefts.
The worst-hit areas include the West End and St James's, both in Westminster, as well as Bloomsbury, Holborn and the Bunhill ward in Islington.
Hackney's Haggerston and Queensbridge wards are in the worst 10, along with the Bishop's ward in Lambeth, Cathedral's in Southwark and the Grove ward in Kingston.
The most serious problems are in Westminster, however, where Superintendent Matthew Foley warned that cycle thieves were increasingly active.
He said increased patrols had failed to curb a rise in offending which has seen 426 cycles stolen since the start of April, compared with 244 in the same period last year - a 75 per cent rise.
He said: "One reason is that there are a lot more people cycling, and another is that because it's more popular, there is more of a market for stolen bicycles. I am a keen cyclist so I do feel for people and know how infuriating it must be."
Mr Foley said there was growing evidence organised gangs were targeting bicycles. One favoured method is to smash locks with a hammer after putting plumbers' "pipe freeze" into the key hole to make them more brittle.
He said cyclists could help to reduce the risk by using more than one lock and removing any easily detachable parts, such as wheels or saddles. He added: "I use three locks myself, but I still see too many, often expensive bikes, with only flimsy locks."
Transport for London statistics show a 107 per cent increase in cycle journeys in the capital since 2000 with a nine per cent rise since May last year. An estimated 545,000 cycle journeys are made every day.
Met crime figures, covering the financial year 2008/09, show 18,218 cycles were stolen over the period - a 1,036 rise on the previous year.
How to beat the thieves
Use more than one strong lock and avoid cheaper products that are easier for thieves to remove.
Remove detachable parts such as saddles and wheels to stop them being stolen and to make the cycle less attractive to a thief.
Have bikes marked and keep a note of the frame number.
Try not to leave expensive bikes on the street and use cheaper alternatives.
Ask employers to provide secure storage space for bikes at work.
The 20 Wards with the highest number bike thefts
Borough - Ward Name - Total (01/07/2008 - 30/06/2009)
Westminster - West End - 439
Westminster - St James's - 389
Camden - Bloomsbury - 348
Camden - Holborn and Covent Garden - 336
Islington - Bunhill - 292
Southwark - Cathedrals - 260
Lambeth - Bishop's - 249
Hackney - Haggerston - 237
Hackney - Queensbridge - 223
Kingston - Grove - 190
Islington - Clerkenwell - 185
Tower Hamlets - Weavers - 170
Islington - St Peter's - 168
Islington - St Mary's - 166
Hammersmith & Fulham - Hammersmith Broadway - 164
Tower Hamlets - Spitalfields and Banglatown - 127
Lambeth - Herne Hill - 122
Tower Hamlets - Millwall - 118
Westminster - Marylebone High Street - 115
Kensington & Chelsea - Colville - 114
Reader views (41)
The scum who steal bikes are fuelled by the scum who buy them, when the market goes the theives won't bother, they will start stealing something else that the market demands. My gut feeling says, if you value it it is best not to leave it on the street. I have had previous jobs where locked cycle parking has been provided, I didn't cycle then, and I didn't see what the big deal was, but I cycle now. I know it's not ideal for every situation. The fact that a lorry 'fills up' overnight means that bikes are hot property, and we cyclists should appreciate that fully and do all we can to put cycle thieves out of a job.
- Lawler, London
So my bike got stolen over the weekend on a high street in glorious weather and with heaps of people around. Reported it to the police. Found a listing for it on Gumtree a few days later. Reported the listing to police (the phone number in the ad was easily Googled as being a bike thief... 3 pages of listings from the same number). "We'll refer it for investigation".
Yeah right ("sorry, we're busy"). So I ponied up the ransom money and bought my bike back from the crook for about the same cost as buying 4 locks.
There's basically an open air market on Kilburn High Street.
I'm sure the police time would be just as expensive, except it would help quash robbery in broad daylight! The bloke upthread who talked about the broken window theory has it.
The current system rewards theft and places the blame on the victim. Sort it out.
- Trev, Islington
@Pardeep - I worked in home insurance for years - you need to checck your policy booklet. Most of th ebig insurers will cover Contents in the Garden up to about £400. Your bike would be covered under this, unless there is a SPECIFIC EXCLUSION for pedal cycles or a provision regarding locking.
You need to go to yourpolicy book, go to the Contents section and then to Contents in the Garden (if there is cover) and see if there are exclusions for bikes.
Finally check you policy document (the annual schedule) for any addition endorsments which might be applicable.
Insurers generally don't try to "pull one" on policyholders, as one poster writes above, but whether there is cover or not is there in black and white in your policy.
BTW if you don't have Contents in the Garden, consider going to a better insurer. You get what you pay for with insurance.
- The Real Mr Fish, Ireland
Pardeep, I had my unlocked bike stolen from front of house while I went inside, insurance paid up, even without pedal cycle extension. Your insurance co is trying it on, refer to your policy documentation.
- Zippy, Harrow
Unfortunately the Public are partly to blame. Many bikes are stolen in broad daylight and the people on the street or living/working in the are simply walk by and ignore the nice man jumping up and down on bolt croppers. Perhaps they think the "evil cyclists" are somehow getting their comeuppance? Failing to realise that this may be a good person who will now be dissuaded from cycling well and setting a good example when the bike is gone.
So if you see this happening, phone the police and tell them a crime is in progress. 999 is the number. If they are using a vehicle take a sly pic on your camera phone
Also if you want a bike buy new if possible. It is the demand for cheap s/h bikes that is fuelling this in part. A new bike isnt that much more expensive
I also feel the Police should stop blaming the victim. If they did this with rape and assualt, or indeed as said with car owners, there would be uproar!
- Djc, hampshire
It's all very well making your bike difficult to steal, but what do you do when the sods can't steal it - so they fill your locks with super-glue.? the police wont help, the fire brigade wont help, locksmiths will charge the value of the bike to come a do it and the coucil aren't interested even though it's their job.
- Ed, London
Bikes have always been stolen in London in great numbers (had 3 taken) . More bikes around now - so more thefts simple.
Are we sure its "normal thiefs" or it could be the start of a fight back from Pedestrains - if so good luck to them
- Bob, london
"The main reason is that Westminster council, one of the richest councils in the UK is too tight to actually provide anything like bike racks."
I had my bicycle, with two locks, stolen from a Westminster Council bike rack. Funnily enough, exactly a year ago to this day.
- Nick, London
I don't believe that 'gangs' are always to blame. I lived in Highgate, london a few years ago, and my bicycle was stolen by a well-to-do neighbour.
- Mark, Venice, Italy
The BEST way to mark a bike is with the name of one of the free Bike Registry services off the net. Then TAG it as being registered in multiple places such that they have a good chance of getting boomeranged whenever they try to pawn it off. And you have a good chance of recovery!
- Gregory Servos, Bristol, UK
Low level crime like this should always be tackled.Like the "Broken windows" theory if it is ignored it will only escalate to greater crime.Police if they wanted could EASILY tackle this,without great expense. We are becoming a nation of patsies or soft touches.If your bike is nicked in Central London you should be fuming with the array of monitoring CCTV.Disgraceful!
- Tony ,Essex, Harlow,UK
People buying stolen goods are equally guilty, without demand there would be no theft…next time you think you are getting a great deal think again and check where these goods came from. No one who paid good money for a decent bike will want to sell it that cheap….thieves will.
- Jan, London
at night in my road a large truck leaves only to return in the early hours filled with bikes. I have reported this to the police but they do nothing as they say they actually have to catch the person stealing them! They wont even make enquiries.
- Mark Armstrong, london. uk
Make sure you lock is not on the ground; if it can't be put on the ground, it generally can't be hit hard enough to smash. Same with the chain, wind it around so it is not loose.
- Larry, Amsterdam, NL
Steven Jones - there are a number of schemes whereby bike owners can register their bikes, such as the National Property Register.
Unfortunately, the police are under equipped. Even bicyles tagged under the scheme, that have been stolen and found in Brick Lane on a weekend, will stay in the hands of the thieves, or those dishonest enough to buy stolen goods, because the police do not have the tag readers to identify the frames.
- Dagmar Prossit-Hummer, Lodnon
Quote: Bob, Cheam. The main reason is that Westminster council, one of the richest councils in the UK is too tight to actually provide anything like bike racks.
They will; once they can charge you for it Bob, they have with motorcycles already; bikes will be next on their list.
After that; thefts in Westminster will drop drastically; as there will be traffic wardens all over the place; watching and waiting for cyclists to park.
- Mickinlondon, london.
Some very constructive comments here. I agree that the only solution seems to be to implement registration documents for bikes, as we have with cars. The idea that these registration numbers would have to appear on eBay as well would be good.
I had a bike stolen opposite Deutsche Bank in the City (I don't work for Deutsche Bank), on London Wall, in broad daylight. I got back to my the bike stands at just after 5pm, and saw the 2 heavy duty locks that I had used lying on the floor. I was fuming - this is broad daylight in the city on the side of a very busy road with loads of people walking past all day.
My second bike was stolen from our communal hallway over Easter, along with about 5 others.
I have been thinking a lot about how to resolve this problem and the most workable solution to me is the bike registration document idea. The Labour party should be well up for that as they can create another load of self-financing jobs, like they have done with the congestion zone and parking permits.
- Howard Beale, London
Re: Brick Lane and Gumtree.
Agreed. Brick lane is particularly bad with bikes frequently being stored and flogged from side streets where they're not easily spotted by the poor sods walking the length looking for their recently nicked cycles.
Get a one or two quality locks and maybe a cable and for all but the quickest stops lock your back wheel and frame with one lock and use the other lock or cable to secure your front wheel. Don't leave it in out of the way places.. on a busy street is good and preferably within sight of wherever you're going.
- Tobe, London, UK
"use cheaper alternatives" - I do, also I have the same approach with my car. You don't see the police suggesting people shouldbuy cheaper cars though do you!
However what a sorry state society is if one cannot use anything 'nice' in case it gets stolen or damaged.
- A Sherman, London
I am in agreement with Jerry. If only we finally get rid of those 2 legged menaces the world would be a safer place.
Their need to walk all over London’s streets, opening automatic doors, using escalators and consuming huge amounts of our earths precious energy; for what? To purchase bags, shoes, fixie bikes and play stations. Manufactured by poor blind children in far away countries, shipped around the globe at huge expense and deforestation, killing small animals in the process.. Why? So they can fulfil their live walking around London on a weekend to feel a purpose, hiding bike thieves and car vandals in their midst!
- Greasy, London
Google searches on the mobile numbers of advertisers on Gumtree regularly show multiple adverts for different bikes at bargain prices over as long a period of time as google caches the page view.
These people are bike thieves and they know the police do nothing about them so they don't even bother to change SIM cards costing a quid each to make finding them more difficult.
- Steve, Lewisham
Why dont the government set up a registration scheme similar to what they do with the cars
- Steven Jones, london
My bike has a built in lock which you can buy in some shops and I have spent GBP35.00 on a second heavy duty lock. Two locks are better than one. The theif will go for the bike with one lock, it takes less time to break the lock. I live in Copenhagen, a bike friendly city. When you buy a bike in Denmark you are given a certificate, proof of purchase. If the Police stop you, you must be able to prove that you have the certificate otherwise you can be charged with stealing or having received a stolen bike. I cannot sell my bike unless I can produce proof that it is mine by showing them the certificate. The UK should implement the same system.
- Frank, Copenhagen, Denmark
is it just me or do cyclists moan a lot? three or four locks seems small change to pay for the knoledge you're bikes less nickable than the one next to you. If everyone got four locks on the go the thieves would have a right slog on their hands what with carrying two or three different tools for the job, they'd soon tyre (no pun intended) of it all. One on your frame, one in your bag, one on the handlebars and one in your jeans pocket - four locks. That way we can all make the police's job easier and the thief's harder.
- Sam Ajap, london
So Jerry a bike causes one death and you give your support to mass bike theft.
Do cars ever kill people, Jerry?
Idiot.
- Danny, London
An old policeman told me to buy a cheaper bike when I said to him that thiefs not only stole bikes but parts like cranks and forks as well.
This says it all...
- Tika, london
eBay should require frame numbers to be given in ads.
- Richard, london engand
Why should we cyclists use two big heavy locks everywhere? I totally agree that the blame is being shifted onto cyclists and employers here - time for the police to do some good old fashioned police work I think - catching criminals - instead of rounding up innocent people illegally for hours on end.
Jerry - I would be pleased if someone stole your property, or assaulted you. Because that's exactly what you're saying about me.
- Pete Biggs, London, UK
How dumb can you be? Never leave your bike locked for longer than a few minutes if you care about it.
Bike thieves now use battery powered angle grinders that will go through the best locks on the market like butter! That is the minimum they will have to remove the lock. Some have powered cutters that have stored in vans that park up next to the bike and in under 30 seconds they will have the lock removed and the bike in the van.
- Serox, London
Not seen or heard the name Boris Johnson get a mention, after all he wanted to get britain cycling, but the local governments and companies don't provide for cyclists, they do for cars....
Im a driver...
- Adrian, london
How nice of the police to blame the victims.
Pretty much every bike for sale in Brick Lane or on Gumtree is stolen. Stolen bikes and parts are openly sold there by known thieves every week and the Police do nothing about it. Even if they bother arresting them convictions are never secured.
While stupid or selfish people provide a market for stolen bikes and while the police let thieves operate the thefts will continue to rise. How about raiding the markets every weekend, seizing every bike and making the sellers prove ownership before releasing them? If the police made it impossible to sell stolen bikes then thefts would fall dramatically.
- Niall, London
It seems that the 'new' residents of Islington & Hackney have forgotten that there are some degenerate types still living in their midst it the spralling council estates.
Parking your bike on these streets is a bit like leaving your wallet by the nearest bus stop with a note saying "steal me please" !!
- Des, Old North London Resident
Rather than blaming the victims, shouldn't the Met be doing something about this? A large number of bikes stolen in London are to be found for sale in and around Brick Lane every weekend. I know this, most cyclists know this. What is preventing the Met from acting on this and bringing charges against those people selling stolen bikes?
- Andy, Beckenham, UK
It's all well and good buying more expensive locks for your bike, but the police really do need to take bike theft seriously and actually clamp down on the selling of stolen bikes sold around brick lane and on gumtree and all those people who buy stolen bikes need to realise that sometimes that bargain bike "is too good to be true".
- Cornelius, London, uk
Pardeep - you don't really have a leg to stand on (or a bicycle to ride on) with regards to your insurance.
If your bicycle had been chained properly to something unmoveable, then you might have been able to claim. But as it was, even though some part of the bike was "locked", your lack of care to properly secure the bike effectively, invalidated your cover on that item.
- Jock, London
Jerry
Although I don't condone car theft I am pleased that some of these four wheeled menaces will be off the road.
You know the type, talking and texting on their mobile phones, playing with their sat nav, jumping red lights at high speed, throwing fag butts out of their windows, parking over pedestrian crossings, disabled bays and double yellow lines, being highly aggressive to other road users, standing for long periods of time with their engines left running, clogging up roads with short journeys rather than walking five minutes to the shops, driving oversized off road vehicles on London Streets and having complete disregard for anyone but themselves.
- Jerry, London
Jerry - Whilst I cannot condone theft, I would be pleased if someone stole your car tonight.
Now, how do you like it?
- Nolan, Londonist
Get a small folding bike. The original Bickerton was classed as cabin baggage by British Airways and even had a nickel coated chain which required no grease.
- Jack Spratt, Richmond, Surrey
Whilst I cannot condone bike theft, I am pleased that some of these two wheel menaces will be off the road.
Insurance renewal, if they have any at all it must now include 3rd party accident cover, especially so after the recent death caused by a cyclist.
I rather hope that the lycra louts are especially targeted, you know the type, those that ride at high speed through red lights, cycle on pavements, damage cars and have a general disregard for anybody but themselves. These people I would want off the road, perminantly !
- Jerry, London
I had mine stolen from the back of my house, even though it was locked, it wasnt secured to something that was unmoveable and hence the insurance company (in this case Bradford and Bingley) failed to pay up - anyone out there know if I challenge them?
- Pardeep Gupta, Isleworth
The main reason is that Westminster council, one of the richest councils in the UK is too tight to actually provide anything like bike racks.
- Bob, Cheam
