Bike theft has been effectively decriminalised in large parts of the country where police failed to catch a single thief in an entire year. Analysis of official data shows there are 67 local authority districts where police did not charge or caution any suspects at all for bike theft during the whole of 2024.
That’s despite a total of more than 2,300 people reporting their bike was stolen in these areas.
There are a further 26 council districts in England and Wales where so few arrests were made that the detection rate for bike theft was below one per cent. Last year, police in England and Wales recorded more than 61,500 crimes of bike theft, the equivalent of one stolen every nine minutes.
It comes as shocking footage shared on Instagram shows brazen thieves using an angle grinder to cut through a chain and steal a bike in front of passersby in Stratford, east London.
Footage shared by the Mirror last year shows two thieves stealing a bike in under 40 seconds in broad daylight in Bristol.
Of completed investigations into bike theft last year, only 2.5 per cent of cases resulted in a suspect being charged or cautioned. In nine out of 10 cases (88 per cent), that was because no suspect was identified.
In around a fifth of council areas, not a single bike thief was brought to justice.
Police figures reveal a detection rate of zero in the entire council area of Buckinghamshire during 2024, despite 240 bikes being reported stolen. That means not a single thief was charged, cautioned or faced any kind of local resolution.
There were also 122 bikes stolen in Harrow over 12 months and 102 pinched in three council areas – Chichester, Gateshead, and Thurrock – without anyone being punished.
Hyperlocal neighbourhood figures have also revealed the hotspot areas where thieves are getting away with stealing bikes.
For example, in Hackney’s London Fields & Mare Street area, 159 crimes of bike theft were recorded, and no culprits were detected. No offender was punished for the 90 bike thefts in Nottingham’s City Centre and Trent Bridge neighbourhood, 86 crimes in Durham City, or 73 offences in Lancaster Central.
Now, our map can reveal the riskiest places to own a bike or leave it chained up – and students appear to have the most to fear.
Last year, there were 411 reports of bike thefts in Cardiff’s Cathays South and Bute Park district, which includes Cardiff University, more than any other neighbourhood in England and Wales. Secure cycling parking units are now being installed near Cardiff Castle in response to thefts.
The figures also show that students of Britain’s prestigious Oxbridge universities should be extra careful when cycling to and from their colleges. Last year, there were 389 bike theft reports in Central and West Cambridge and 367 in Oxford Central.
The next three areas with the highest number of bike thefts were all city centre neighbourhoods with a university close by. There were 366 bike thefts in York City Centre, 298 in Leeds City Centre, and 246 in Bristol’s City Centre and Harbourside neighbourhood.
But it is not just students who have reason to fear for their bikes. Bankers cycling into work in London’s “Square Mile” financial district also have reason to take extra care.
Last year, there were 241 bikes stolen from the City of London, the financial and commercial heart of the UK.
The total number of bike thefts in 2024 was a 10 per cent fall from around 69,000 thefts in 2023 and 20 per cent lower than the 78,000 crime reports in 2022. That could be due to factors including police operations, awareness campaigns, high-quality locks and increased registration of bikes to make them easier to track and identify.
However, when a bike is stolen, it is unlikely the thief will be caught. You can see how many bikes were stolen where you live, and whether any criminals were punished, using our interactive map below.
A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs’ Council said: “Policing recognises how invasive and distressing it can be to fall victim to burglary and theft. We continue to make significant investment in preventing and investigating serious acquisitive crime.
“Activity is ongoing as part of the National Cycle Crime Reduction Strategy, which is driven through the National Cycle Crime Steering and Action Groups. This group sees police, retailers, cycle pressure groups, local authorities and central government working together to deliver positive outcomes and reduce offending in this area.
“We know that in some cases, there may not be enough information for police to act upon or bring about criminal proceedings. When this happens, officers focus on targeting prolific offenders, organised crime networks, and ensuring there are effective prevention measures are in place.
“We understand the disappointment felt by victims, when they do not get the outcome they would want through the criminal justice system, or from their local force. Police and prosecutors are working hard to make sure we improve the experience of those affected by this type of criminality.”
Police advice to cyclists
- When leaving cycles unattended, even in a garage or shed, use at least one good-quality ‘Sold Secure’ lock.
- Register the frame number and details of your bike for free on the BikeRegister database. BikeRegister is used by all Police Forces in the UK and maximises the chances of their bikes being reunited with their owners if stolen.
- When buying a second-hand bicycle, search the BikeRegister database for free to ensure it hasn’t been reported stolen.
- If your bike is stolen, report it in as much detail as possible to your local police force so it can be investigated appropriately and officers can gain a true picture of the problem so they can deploy suitable resources.
Crime figures are available for every one of more than 7,000 neighbourhoods in England and Wales, except areas covered by Greater Manchester Police, as the force did not supply crime data for the last year. The data is available for neighbourhoods with between 7,000 and 10,000 residents, which the government designates as Middle Super Output Areas (MSOAs). The statistics do not include crimes reported at train stations, as these are recorded by British Transport Police.