POLICE are offering discounts on bike locks to cyclists in Colchester following a rise in the number of stolen bikes.

The initiative has been set up by Pc Rosanna Walker after she noticed a number of the bikes which were being stolen had been locked to bike racks, but this had not prevented the theft.

Since the beginning of August 2017 there have been 111 occasions where a bike has either been stolen or an attempt has been made to steal it.

From today until Sunday four businesses in Colchester will be offering up to a 20 per cent discount off any Essex Police approved Sold Secure locks.

The stores are: Colchester Cycle Stores, St John’s Street; Cycle Evolution and Cycle Revolution, Peartree Road; Globe G Sports, Military Road.

Pc Walker said: “I am hoping the discounts being offered by the stores will encourage cyclists to look at their current locks and decide whether they really will offer the best deterrent to thieves.

“While there is no guarantee that even the sturdiest of locks will prevent a cycle being stolen if the thief is organised and has the right tools it certainly will help reduce the number of opportunistic thefts.”

There is also the option to buy online from Cycle Evolution, Cycle Revolution and from Globe G Sports using the code BIKEWEEK.

Proactive police patrols have been in place in and around the town to deter would-be cycle thieves and a number of operations have seen success in catching people responsible.

Since the increase, eight people have been charged with theft or handling stolen bicycles with a further five receiving a community resolution. A total of 11 bikes have been recovered and returned to their owners as a result of police work.

More details of this week’s initiative can be found at essex.police.uk/cycle along with some useful crime prevention advice on how to keep your bike secure.

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