Keep them safe folks

A survey has revealed that bikes were Britain’s most stolen item in 2015.

Bikes topped the CCTV.co.uk survey and were closely followed by mobile phones and power tools. It’s unfortunately not much surprise to us however as we’ve seen both professional riders and bike shops falling victim to bike thefts in the past few months.

CCTV.co.uk believes that garden sheds are the weak link in home security and the reason that items such as bikes, golf clubs and gardening tools are frequently stolen.

Johnathan Ratcliffe, a spokesperson for CCTV.co.uk, said: “Crime can hit anywhere, no matter how ‘crime-free’ your community may be. There’s a reason why so many bicycles go missing, and it’s all down to lack of security.

“You might secure your home with multi-point locks, but the average shed is still only protected by a cheap padlock which is easily broken. And it’s the same with garage doors which don’t survive for long in the face of a determined crook with a crowbar.”

>>> Watch the world’s most hapless bike thief

With more and more people cycling it’s no surprise that bike thefts are on the rise and we’d advise you keep yours as secure as possible. Look at your bike with a “thief’s eye” and keep it out of sight and away from blindspots where a thief can work undisturbed.

If you are worried about bike thefts you can ask a police crime prevention officer to visit you and offer advice and speak to your insurance company about the minimum security standards you should have for a successful claim in a worst case scenario.

Britain’s most stolen items

  1. Bicycles
  2. Mobile phones
  3. Power tools
  4. Laptop computers
  5. Tablet computers
  6. Cameras
  7. Golfing equipment
  8. Gardening tools
  9. Audio equipment
  10. Televisions