BikeRegister Helps Cut Bike Thefts by Almost Half in Wirral 

BikeRegister has worked closely with Merseyside Police for a number of years, building a strong partnership dedicated to tackling cycle crime. This long-term collaboration has been driven by the tireless commitment of Merseyside Police officers - from organising large-scale marking events to integrating bike checks into everyday policing. The success of this work has been nationally recognised, with the project featured by the College of Policing as best practice and winning a prestigious national award in 2024 for its impact on crime reduction. 

Merseyside’s Cycle-Crime Challenges 

In 2023, Merseyside Police noticed a sharp rise in bike-related crime across the Wirral. Officers reported that in some acquisitive crime categories, up to 80% of incidents involved a bicycle - either being stolen or being used by offenders to commit other offences. 

High-value bikes were a particular target and the reward for thieves often outweighed the perceived risk of being caught. To tackle this, police set out to make these bikes less attractive to criminals and easier to trace back to their rightful owners. 

Marking Bikes to Reduce Crime 

Working in partnership with BikeRegister, the UK’s national police-preferred cycle marking and registration scheme, the force launched an initiative to mark and register as many bikes as possible. As a result events were promoted via social media, inviting cyclists to bring their bikes to be marked and registered in the national BikeRegister database. This ensured that each bike’s identity was permanently linked to its owner, making stolen bikes far harder to sell on and much easier to return if recovered. 

Marking events were held at various locations across Merseyside, including schools, cycling clubs, and popular cycling hotspots, with local bike shops playing a key role by offering free registration not only on new bike sales but also on bikes brought in for servicing. Jon Trigg, Manager of Giant Liverpool, explains, “Working in the industry, we probably hear about bike theft more than anyone else. It’s so disappointing when customers come back to tell us their new bike has been stolen. Anything we can do to prevent that, or help return stolen bikes, is just fabulous.” 

Impressive Results 

The results speak for themselves, when comparing 12 months before and after the scheme’s introduction, Merseyside Police recorded a 45.6% reduction in bike thefts across Wirral, with the initiative also positively impacting robbery offences. Now recognised by the College of Policing, the approach focuses on four clear objectives: 

- Make bikes less attractive to thieves 

- Carry out routine bike checks as standard police practice 

- Use BikeRegister to gather valuable intelligence 

- Boost public confidence by reuniting owners with recovered bikes 

Officers are now encouraged to stop and check bikes against the BikeRegister database as routinely as they would check the Police National Computer for vehicles. As Inspector Alan McKeon of Merseyside Police stated, “BikeRegister has given us something to develop as part of a legacy - not just to deal with the problem now, but to deliver prevention for the next generation and beyond.”  

This outstanding success was further recognised in 2024 when the initiative won a national award for its innovation and results in tackling cycle crime. 

Police forces interested in learning more about using BikeRegister to tackle cycle crime can contact our team for guidance, resources, and best practice advice. 

For further information and images contact: Victoria Clark, Marketing Executive for Selectamark.

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