TWO men have been arrested as part of ongoing investigations into bicycle thefts.

The community policing team arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of bike thefts while another, aged 23, was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

Both Colchester men have been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Until then they are forbidden from going into the town centre and must not be in possession of a bike.

The arrests follow a pledge from Colchester Council to tackle the spate of thefts blighting bicycle owners, having given police footage of five bike thefts last week.

Chief Inspector Danielle Booth said: “I’m aware many members of the public have been victim to this crime over recent weeks and the team have been working discreetly in the background, collating evidence and intelligence to inform our tactical response.

"I would urge bike owners to review the security measures they have to protect property worth several hundred pounds."

Gazette:

Gone - Jordan Baldwin's X Rated Mesh Dirt Jump bike was stolen from outside the Metro bank, High Street, at the end of July

Echoing the safety advice of Essex Police is Colchester Cycling Campaign, which stressed no bike lock is 100 per cent secure.

The group's planning officer William Bramhill also disagreed with a perceived increase in town centre bike thefts.

Mr Bramhill said: "Colchester Council has done a brilliant job of providing cycle stands in the town centre and elsewhere, but perhaps it's time to think about installing a secure station-style cage in a central location.

"The key thing is to go for a lock that costs about 10 to 15 per cent of the value of your bike, combined with how much of an inconvenience it would be to your everyday life if a thief strikes.

"Cable locks are no good - the smaller the lock the better. A thief will try to get a tool into the gap left by the lock to prise it open.

"Our advice would be for people to have a cheap bike for going to town and a more expensive bike for leisure rides or utility riding where there are tag-control cages, such as at Colchester rail station."

  • 84 per cent of Gazette readers said they would stop parking their bikes in town if the problem continues. Twelve per cent of 393 voters answered 'no' and four per cent voted 'maybe' in our poll.