North Wales charge rates following reports of bike thefts revealed

Thursday (August 3) was Cycle to Work Day – encouraging people to do their commute on two wheels.

Despite this, a vast majority of bike thefts across the UK are going unpunished – with one charity warning thefts are putting people off cycling altogether.

New data from the Home Office shows 307 bike thefts were reported to North Wales Police in the year to March 2023 – with just five (1.6 per cent) resulting in a charge or summons to court.

In addition, no suspect was identified in 69.4 per cent of cases, and 20.5 per cent were dropped because of evidential difficulties.

READ MORE: Parents urged to help police tackle city centre anti-social behaviour issue

Meanwhile, 6.8 per cent of crimes were yet to be assigned an outcome.

Keir Gallagher, campaigns manager at the Cycling UK charity, said the "scourge" of bike theft will carry on until criminals "believe there is a genuine risk of being caught".

He said: “While we acknowledge the limitations on police resources, with more than half of stolen bikes being sold online, there is clearly scope for improved targeting of online marketplaces to identify and prosecute serial offenders and organised criminals.”

He urged local authorities, employers and businesses to invest in better bike storage.

Tips from a local bike shop

The Bike Shop, Wrexham (Google) (Image: Google)

Phil Evans, owner of The Bike Shop in Wrexham, told the Leader that since the business opened in 1990, the theft of bikes had "gone up and down fashionably."

"Mountain bikes are the biggest target," he explained.

"Road bikes are not so much - they are not as easy to sell second-hand."

Mr Evans urged all bike owners to make a note of their frame number and to keep it safe - as this is unique to the bike and links it to its rightful owner.

He said: "Unless you have the frame number, when you report it stolen the chance of getting the bike back are small.

"We do encourage customers to keep that safe.

"In the olden days, people who stole bikes would grind off the frame number and punch their own number onto it.

"But a lot of bikes are carbon fibre now, so you can't do that."

Mr Evans also encouraged cyclists - particularly commuters - not to park and lock their bikes up in the same place every day.

Based on the experiences of his customers, he explained: "If you're parking at a railway station for example, you might be alright for the first day.

"But if it appears there every day with the same lock on it, people will spot it, note what lock is on it and come back with what they need to remove it.

"So don't park it in the same place every day - that will reduce the likelihood of it getting stolen."

What's the broader picture?

Home office data shows that a total of 4,258 bike thefts have been reported to North Wales Police from the beginning of the 2012 financial year to the end of the 2021 financial year.

You can see how many were reported each year by using our interactive table below.

Across England and Wales, fewer bike thefts have been reported than in recent years. In 2022-23 there were 76,900 thefts, down from 85,600 in 2019-20.

However, the charge rate has also dropped slightly, from 1.9 per cent to 1.5 per cent.

In the year to March 2020 there were 400 thefts reported to North Wales Police, with just 2.8 per cent resulting in a charge.

What do the police say about the issue?

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for acquisitive crime, Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, said there is "much more that needs to be done" to tackle bike theft.

Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman (Image: Staff)

She said: “Policing recognises how invasive and traumatic it is to be a victim of burglary and theft.

"In some cases, there may not be enough information for police to act upon or bring about criminal proceedings. For these types of offences, police focus on targeting prolific offenders, organised crime networks, and ensuring effective prevention measures are in place."

"I understand the disappointment felt by victims who do not get a quality service by the police or the outcomes they would want through the criminal justice system," she added.

Have you had your bike stolen in the past? We'd like to hear about your experience.

Email steve.craddock@newsquest.co.uk with some details and your contact number to share your story.