London ranked as the worst area for bicycle thefts in the UK
CYCLISTS in London are the worst hit by bike thefts in the UK.
According to new figures a total of 104,768 thefts were reported per capita over the last 12 months in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The university cities of Cambridge and Oxford ranked in second and third place respectively.
Despite few people living in the City of London area, the number of reported thefts has increased by the thousands of people cycling to work in the area.
Last year the Met Police alone received 21,945 accounts of bikes being stolen with British Transport Police reporting 6,395 - highlighting how transport hubs are a popular spot for thieves.
Other top cities for bike theft were revealed as Newport, Chichester and Warwick.
Meanwhile, the areas with the lowest number of stolen bikes are West Devon, Torridge, in North Devon, and the Forest of Dean.
A supporting study of 2,000 Brits carried out by Yellow Jersey found more than one quarter of the nation have had a bike stolen.
Of those, six in 10 never managed to get their bike back, and one in 10 who did said the bicycle was in an unusable condition.
One quarter had their bike stolen from their own garden while one in 10 found their bike pinched from outside their workplace.
Top 10 areas for bike thefts per person:
1. City of London
2. Cambridge
3. Oxford
4. Newport
5. Chichester
6. Warwick
7. Hackney
8. Hammersmith and Fulham
9. Camden
10. Westminster
Superintendent Mark Cleland, national lead for cycle crime said cyclists should be aware of where cycle crime is prevalent and us the best rated "secured by design"; locks.
He said: “We are currently working with our partners on a number of initiatives that will contribute to reducing cycle crime across the UK.
“Prevention is always better than cure."
Cleland added: “Don’t forget that by registering your bike, if it is lost or stolen, there is a greater chance of it being recovered.”