Cyclists are being urged to be vigilant in an effort to deter bike thieves in Canterbury.
The advice is being issued following a number of thefts and attempted thefts of pushbikes in the area.
In one instance, at 3pm on Tuesday 29 November 2021 on the university campus in North Holmes Road, it is reported a man and a woman attempted to steal a bicycle from the bike sheds. The victim is said to have seen a man riding away on his bike and restrained the woman the suspect had been with prior to the incident.
Bolt cutters
At this point the suspect returned the man’s bike. The suspects ran off leaving a rucksack and bolt cutters at the scene.
In another incident a black pushbike was stolen from university grounds in University Road, Canterbury between 2pm on 26 November and 10am on 28 November.
In a third incident a bicycle was stolen from the garden of a property in Pyott Mews. The incident happened at around 10am on 29 November.
Inspector Guy Thompson said: ‘Pushbikes are a desirable item for thieves, they are easy to sell on and hold their value on the second hand market.
‘Whilst no one deserves to have their belongings stolen, I would ask people to try and make life as difficult as possible for these criminals by doing all they can to protect their property.
‘Firstly invest in a high quality bicycle lock and secure your bike by the frame to an immovable object. Try to leave your bike in a busy and well-lit area that is covered by CCTV. Take all removeable objects from your bike when leaving it unattended such as cycle computers, bottles, lights and cameras.
‘Hundreds of bikes that are believed to have been stolen are seized by police each year. Unfortunately, more often than not, officers are never able to reunite them with the rightful owner because they did not property mark them. By property marking your bike and registering the frame number on websites such as Immobilise, there is a much greater chance of police being able to return your bike to you in the event of it being stolen and then found.’
For more information on protecting your bike from thieves click here.