Revealed: The worst railway station to leave your bicycle in Britain as thefts soar by up to 40% in a year – but is YOUR hometown a crime hotspot?

Bike thefts at railway stations have soared by 40 per cent in a year with St Albans station being the worst place to leave your cycle, it has been revealed.

Between January 2021 and May this year, more than 14,000 bikes have been snatched from train stations, according to Freedom of Information requests. 

In the last year alone, those stolen rose to 6,956 compared with 4,999 two years ago but despite the rise in thefts the number of people charged by British Transport Police fell by eight per cent, with only 238 people being charged.

St Albans, in Hertfordshire, saw the most bikes stolen, with 260 being stolen last year – equivalent to one every working day.

Meanwhile, Cambridge North ranked in second with 217 being taken, while Woking in Surrey came in third with 182.

As many as 72,445 bikes will have been stolen in England by the end of 2022, price comparison site Comparethemarket predicted using police records 

St Albans, in Hertfordshire, saw the most bikes stolen, with 260 being stolen last year – equivalent to one every working day

Other stations such as Reading, Bristol Temple Meads and Surbiton were also in the top 10.

While the figures, obtained by Direct Line insurance company, appear shocking, the true number of bikes stolen is likely to be much higher as many cyclist do not report thefts to police, thinking nothing will done.  

Dan Simson, head of Direct Line home insurance, told the Times: ‘Train stations are a prime target for thieves, with high numbers left every day as individuals commute to work or school.’ 

Earlier this year, Home Secretary Suella Braverman called on police officers to investigate every crime if there is a ‘reasonable lead’ in a crackdown of lower-level offences. 

Worst train stations for bike theft: 

All forces across England and Wales agreed with the landmark decision, meaning police will be forced to act if there is ‘tangible evidence’ such as CCTV, vehicle dashcam footage or phone tracking.

According to the Office of National Statistics more than 77,000 bike thefts are reported each year. It has led to citizens trying to solve the problem.

One website, called Find That Bike, allows people who have had their bikes stolen to see if their cycle has been listed on online market places. 

Meanwhile, elite cyclist turned detective Damian Groves, 34,  has spent nearly £6,000 tracking down thieves who stole four of his professional bikes – valued at £36,000.

The cycles were stolen from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, on June 25 and determined to get justice Mr Groves travelled across Europe to retrieve his bikes after they were shipped out of the country.

During the hunt, he hired a private investigator and even flew a drone over an address in Leicester where he was told the bikes were. 

Mr Groves said: ‘I gave the police some names that had been passed to me and they said “we know of them but just giving us their names isn’t enough”.

Other stations such as Reading (pictured), Bristol Temple Meads and Surbiton were also in the top 10

Data revealed that cyclists living in London, Thames Valley and Greater Manchester are more likely to have their bicycles stolen than any other region in England. Pictured: Oxford station 

‘At that point I knew I was going to have to go deeper myself. ‘I thought at this point “the police are going to be fairly useless here.”‘

Data revealed at the end of the last year also revealed the best and worst regions in the UK for stolen bicycles.

Data revealed that cyclists living in London, Thames Valley and Greater Manchester are more likely to have their bicycles stolen than any other region in England.

As many as 72,445 bikes will have been stolen in England by the end of 2022, price comparison site Comparethemarket predicted using police records.

However, the theft rates have risen more in Leicestershire than any other location, with a 23 per cent increase since 2020.

London had the highest predicted number of bike thefts in 2022, with 22,818 estimated to have been stolen by the end of the year.

This earned the capital and its suburbs a bike theft probability score of 5.4 out of ten.

Meanwhile, Thames Valley – which covers Oxford, Milton Keynes and Slough – had the second highest number of predicted bike thefts, at 4,460.

Source: Read Full Article