Crime reduction officers from British Transport Police (BTP) are embarking on a series of educational bike marking surgeries using BikeRegister products to encourage owners of pedal cycles to ensure their property is more secure.

BTP PC Jerry Isterling said officers would be attending rail stations across the south-east region at various dates from March to June to try and ensure as many commuters as possible have their bikes securely marked.

PC Isterling explained: “BTP will be fitting BikeRegister’s permanent marking labels to cycles that have been left at the station cycle storage areas. These labels act as a visible deterrent but also ensure that stolen bikes are easier to identify and given back to their original owners if recovered.”

“We are using BikeRegister as their product and database has achieved accreditation by ACPO lead Secured by Design for their product.”

PC Isterling added that theft of cycles was an ongoing problem on the railway network and has been compounded because many bike owners are not following simple measures to ensure they don\‘t fall victim to thieves.

He continued: “With the lighter, longer evenings on their way, there are naturally going to be more and more people opting to ride their bikes in the coming months.

“A difficulty we face is that many people who ride bikes leave them at railway stations for very long periods of time, with some even owning two bikes and leaving them locked up overnight at stations.

“Because of this, it\‘s more important than ever for us to ensure that cycle owners are educated and informed about how best to protect themselves from thieves.”

PC Isterling confirmed that there are several easy steps people can take to ensure their bikes are adequately marked and secured to help reduce the risk of becoming a victim of bike theft.

He said: “The best thing to remember is to register your bike and also to ensure two solid locks are used to secure both the frame and the wheels to the stand. If a bike is adequately marked, it makes it much easier to identify and therefore reduces its desirability to thieves.”

Commuters with bikes are encouraged to attend the following locations between 4.00pm and 7.30pm on the dates stated. Crime reduction officers will be stationed near the cycle racks to assist.

MARCH

  23 March – Brookwood station
  24 March – Walton on Thames station
  30 March - Sevenoaks station
  31 March – Paddock Wood station

APRIL

  5 April – Three Bridges station
  7 April – Horsham station
  13 April - Ashford (Kent) station
  14 April – Fareham station
  19 April – Staines station
  21 April – Weybridge station
  26 April – Horley station
  27 April – Southampton Central station
  28 April – Fleet station

MAY

  11 May – Worthing station
  12 May – Brighton station
  17 May – West Malling station
  18 May – Guildford station
  19 May – Woking station
  31 May – Richmond station

JUNE

  1 June – Fratton
  2 June – Sittingbourne station
  8 June – East Croydon station
  9 June – Havant station
  22 June – Farnborough station
  23 June – Basingstoke station
  27 June – Waterloo station
  28 June – Tonbridge station

Passengers who do not have their bikes with them at the cycle marking events can apply to have a label posted to them.

Anyone interested is asked to email [email protected], including the name of the station their cycle is left at.

TIPS TO ENSURE YOUR BICYCLE REMAINS SAFE AND SECURE:

  Always lock your bicycle whenever you leave it at a designated cycle rack area. Lock the frame and both wheels to a cycle stand.
  Consider using more than one lock to secure your bike and ensure that you use a recognised security standard lock. D-locks, extension cable or heavy chain locks are certified locking mechanisms. It is important to ensure that yours are up to date.
  Make the lock(s) and bike hard to manoeuvre when parked by ensuring little room between the stand and the bike.
  Do not allow your lock(s) to come into contact with the ground, where they are viewed as more vulnerable.
  Take a photograph of your bike and record your frame number and key details. This will be crucial in recovering your bike if it is stolen.
  Place overt identifiable cycle marking and register the bike on a cycle database i.e. Bikeregister.com
  Do not ride with valuables in open baskets or panniers.

For further information and images contact: Jodie Fisher, Marketing Executive for Selectamark.

Phone: +44 (0)1689 487829
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @bikeregister