Hounslow Sees London's Second Highest Rise in Bike Thefts

Police take action against offender in just over 1% of cases

Locks to the value of a third of the cost of a bike are recommended

Recently published figure show that the borough of Hounslow has seen the second highest increase in bicycle thefts in London over the past year.

Between September 2021 and September 2022 the number of bikes taken rose by 25% with only Sutton seeing a high increase. During the same period thefts fell in all the boroughs bordering Hounslow including Ealing.

The figures, which were collated by London criminal defence solicitors Lawtons also show that only 1.1% of bike thefts in London result in any formal sanction for the offender a proportion that was unchanged the following year.

In some boroughs such as Havering and Croydon not a single bike thief was identified and in Camden the number was 1 in 300.

In previous years Waltham Forest experienced on of the highest rates of this sort of crime but this year it saw incidents decline by 45% after it issued a range of advice to bike owners including buying a Sold Secure rated lock equivalent to a third of the value of the bike and using two different high quality locks as thieves generally only bring tools to remove one type of lock. Other recommended measures are to take any quick release parts such as saddles and wheels and to register your bike and put a sticker on it to indicate to thieves that it is more likely to be traced.

Nick Titchener, criminal defence solicitor at London law firm Lawtons Solicitors, says, “One major contributing factor to the increase in bike theft is that it’s just so easy for criminals to get away with the offence. We are seeing from this year’s data that the boroughs that were heavily impacted by crime last year have been able to reduce the problem, which we are now seeing spread to the South West boroughs.

“Unfortunately, suspects aren’t being identified because there’s usually no relationship between themselves and the victim and it’s a relatively low-priority crime for the police to pursue. On top of this, owners often don’t document the ownership of their bike, making it difficult to prosecute even if the perpetrator is caught.

“It’s essential that you register your bike to help you recover it in the case of theft. Keep your receipt, make a record of the serial number and register your bike with a bicycle marking and registration scheme. This will enable the police to trace your bike back to you if it is stolen and recovered.”

Chris Smith, MD at Pendle Bike Racks, says, “Hopefully you will have registered your bike with BikeRegister and placed a security mark on your bike. The mark serves as a visible deterrent because the owner of a marked bike can be traced and the odds of arrest/prosecution are significantly higher. It also makes the stolen bike much more difficult to sell. If you happen to find your freshly stolen bike on a social media marketplace, resist the urge to go vigilante! As tempting as it might be to bang down the door and take back what is rightfully yours, the police are there for a reason.”

November 8, 2022