A LEISURE facility in Colchester has become a hotspot for bicycle thefts, campaigners have warned.
Visitors to Leisure World, in Cowdray Avenue, are being targeted by crooks looking to snatch their bicycles from outside the venue.
Bicycle theft was the second most reported crime in Colchester last week with officers told of four incidents in total.
Of these, two were stolen from outside Leisure World.
The attraction has both covered and uncovered bicycle storage racks either side of its main entrance near the city centre.
Stuart Johnson, chairman of the Colchester Cycling Campaign, has now called for them to be moved to an area “where thieves can’t operate unobserved”.
His campaign colleague Will Bramhill apportioned some blame to “the Aldi effect” caused by the supermarket further along the road.
“The store sells lithium battery powered angle grinders and these are a thief’s dream tool,” he said.
Mr Bramhill added: “People should call 999 if they see thieves at work but don’t approach them. Instead, try to observe from a distance and note descriptions.”
He urged cyclists to mark their bikes with a BikeRegister sticker and use a Sold Secure Gold rated lock.
A Colchester Council spokesman said: “Unfortunately, Leisure World is not unique in experiencing this type of crime.
“The number of bike thefts reported is low in comparison to the volume of customers who cycle to the venue, which we estimate is in the region of 20-30 each day.
“However, we take property theft extremely seriously and will always assist police investigations by sharing our CCTV footage if requested.”
The spokesman said the council continues to work with the police “to help increase security measures” which could reduce the risk of bicycle crime.
Speaking to the Gazette in May, an Essex Police spokesman said: “Where we can, we take action against bicycle thieves.
“Where that is not possible – and of course we understand victims’ frustration should that be the case – those reports do feed into our patrol plans."
The force was contacted for an updated comment but had not responded by the time this newspaper went to print.
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