Bicycle thefts at railway stations surged last year but the police are becoming worse at catching offenders despite widespread CCTV cameras.
The number of bikes stolen rose nearly 40 per cent to 6,956, up from 4,999 in 2021, according to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. The figures show that commuters in the home counties were more likely to be victims than anywhere.
Despite the rise in thefts, the number of people charged by British Transport Police fell by 8 per cent to only 238. The force recovered only 103 of nearly 7,000 bikes stolen.
Between January 2021 and May this year, more than 14,000 bikes have been taken from stations. With owners spending an average of £430 on their bikes, the total estimated value of these thefts is more than £6 million.
The greatest numbers of thefts were reported at stations around London used by commuters. St Albans, in Hertfordshire, was the worst hit with 260 bikes stolen last year, equivalent to one every working day. Cambridge North had the second highest number at 217, followed by Woking, in Surrey, at 182. Walton-on-Thames and Surbiton, also in Surrey, and Reading also appeared in the top ten.
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Numbers of thefts from stations are likely to be much higher because many cyclists do not report them to the police.
Over the summer, the police pledged to investigate all crimes where there was a reasonable lead, after criticism about unsolved petty offences.
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In a joint announcement, the Home Office and College of Policing said that under the “back to basics” approach police forces across England and Wales would be expected to take advantage of video from CCTV, dashcams, phones and smart doorbells to help identify suspects and place them at the scene of the crime.
Direct Line, the insurance company that submitted the FOI requests, also commissioned a survey to establish how many people had been victims of bike theft. It found that 39 per cent have had a bike stolen. Of these a third said they did not report it to the police.
Across the country, 77,000 bikes are reported stolen each year, according to the Office for National Statistics, suggesting that more than 100,000 are actually taken.
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Dan Simson, head of Direct Line home insurance, said: “Train stations are a prime target for thieves, with high numbers left every day as individuals commute to work or school.”
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The British Transport Police says thieves are less likely to have several tools with them and advises commuters leaving bikes at a station to use two different types of lock, with at least one being a “D-lock”. It suggests that cyclists take easily removable parts, such as wheels, saddles and lights, with them if possible.
It recommends registering the frame number on a national bike registration database approved by Secured by Design. The frame number is usually found underneath the bike between the pedals or where the back wheel slots in.
The Find That Bike website has adverts for bikes for sale on online marketplaces so victims can check whether theirs has been listed. The police do not recommend pursuing offenders.
